The Language of Seabirds

About this book

A sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer.

Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It's the first summer after his parents' divorce, and he hasn't exactly been seeking alone time with his dad. He doesn't have a choice, though, so he goes... and on his first day takes a walk on the beach and finds himself intrigued by a boy his age running by. Eventually, he and Runner Boy (Evan) meet — and what starts out as friendship blooms into something neither boy is expecting... and also something both boys have been secretly hoping for.

Reviews

Praise for The Language of Seabirds:

* "Taylor beautifully evokes the strange, liminal feelings of an early summer vacation that lasts forever and is over too quickly, parents in the process of going from marriage to divorce, and the confusing time between childhood and adolescence, when boys might want to play with toy dinosaurs one moment and hold hands the next." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Via a leisurely third-person narration that effectively conjures the agony of first texts and the emotional awkwardness of adolescence, Taylor (Maggie & Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort) writes with vulnerability the conflict of being in-between." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "A warm-hearted story that affirms and celebrates a tender relationship between two boys." --The Horn Book, starred review

"An atmospheric LGBTQIA+ romance perfect for all middle grade and young adult collections." --School Library Journal