Sparrow Spreads Her Wings -- Gail Donovan, Paperback

In this sequel to the "uplifting" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) Sparrow Being Sparrow, Sparrow rescues an injured animal but soon wonders if she's taken on more than she can handle alone.

A blizzard is coming, and Sparrow's parents are leaving for the hospital to welcome Sparrow's new baby brother, but all Sparrow can think about is investigating the strange thwack she heard coming from her bedroom window. When she goes outside, she finds an injured pigeon getting buried in the snow. She has to save it!

Sparrow and her best friend, Paloma, bring the bird inside while the grown-ups are busy, determined to nurse it back to health. But soon, Sparrow realizes that helping the bird recover--especially with curious kittens around the house--will be much harder than she thought. If she asks for help, will it mean letting go of her new animal friend?

Author: Gail Donovan
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 11/04/2025
Pages: 160
Binding Type: Paperback
Size: 7.63h x 5.13w x 0.48d
ISBN: 9781665943086
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4
Point Value: 3
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 553829 / Sparrow Spreads Her Wings

About the Author
Gail Donovan was fired from her first job in an ice cream shop for making the sundaes too big. She now works in a library and writes middle grade novels, including Sparrow Being Sparrow, a Junior Library Guild Selection; Finchosaurus, a Moonbeam Children's Book Award winner; and In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog, named to the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list. She has also written for the Rainbow Fish & Friends picture book series based on the bestselling work of Marcus Pfister. Donovan lives on the coast of Maine, where she jumps in the ocean all year round. She has shared her home with a dozen birds, a few dogs, a rat, and a cat named Cookie. Visit her at GailDonovan.com.

Elysia Case is an illustrator from the Finger Lakes region of New York. When she's not making things, she can be found spoiling her pets with too many treats and annoying them with too many kisses. Follow her on Instagram @Elyvescent.