An engaging story of a young teen finding what's most important in his life.' -Kirkus 'Lovers of Sterling North's Rascal, Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf, and Calame's Dan Versus Nature will flock to this tale about a teen and his hawk. root the story solidly in a fascinating world new to most readers. Abundant details of falconry, the result of the author's own falconry apprentice lessons.

Brunner's novel will appeal to a variety of readers, including those drawn to stories of wildlife, family dynamics, or plain old star-crossed romance.' -VOYA 'Brunner writes an impassioned story with real-life moral dilemmas.

'Flip the Bird is packed with plot tension, flippant adolescent humor, and the complications of human relationships.

AGES: 12 and up AUTHOR: Kym Brunner is the author of the YA novels Flip the Bird, Wanted: Dead or In Love, and One Smart Cookie. With humour and honesty, Mercer's story shows how growing up means making difficult choices - and sometimes, being rewarded in unexpected ways. Mercer soon realises that if he wants to keep seeing Lucy, he'll need to keep his love of falconry and his family's raptor rehabilitation center a secret from her, and Lucy's involvement with HALT from his family. He thinks his love life is about to take flight, until he discovers that Lucy and her family belong to a fanatical animal-rights organisation called HALT - a group that believes imposing any sort of restrictions on animals is a form of cruelty. When Mercer meets Lucy, he falls hard for her gorgeous looks and bubbly personality. to show his dad that falconers don't have to be so serious all the time. With hunting season fast approaching, fourteen-year-old Mercer has only a short time to work with Flip, a red-tailed hawk he irreverently named. Mercer Buddie wants two things in this world: a girlfriend and the chance to prove to his master falconer father that he's not a flake.

Flip the Bird by Kym Brunner