Common Sense Media Review
By Jasmine Baten
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Moving COVID stories with parent death, fear, and injustice.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
A BIRD IN THE AIR MEANS WE CAN STILL BREATHE is the story of the pandemic through the eyes of a New York community. Multiple narrators, most of them children, talk about what living through the pandemic is like as they watch family members pass away, try to keep their families afloat, stay connected to their friends, and somehow keep surviving. The separate narrations become intertwined, showing just how connected people are, even in the scary world of a pandemic, as they have the beautiful experience of caring for each other.
Is It Any Good?
Powerful and breathtaking writing in this mixed prose-poetry novel will leave readers breathless as they hold the book and its narrators close to the heart. The narrators of A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe are grief-stricken and strong, struggling and fighting, young and far too mature. This book will have readers facing the reality of just how deeply the pandemic affected kids, especially those from marginalized communities. Still, Browne weaves their sadness with hope in different narrative styles that make for a beautiful read. While this book weighs heavy on the heart, it's just that quality that makes it a top-rated one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about books like A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe that show how hard the pandemic was for many families. What's it like to read about a historical event you lived through? Why do you think the author tackled such hard topics through different narrators who are mostly children?
What does this book tell us about how fictional stories can show us people's real lives? What insights did you get when it comes to adults that should take care of children but hurt or neglect them instead? How did the kids and teens in this book show courage and perseverance in the face of family trouble?
This book has narrators who are in prison and shows how their incarceration affects their loved ones. Why do you think the author included these perspectives? Why do you think she chose to include a chapter from a younger man and one from an older man who are in prison together?
A few of the narrators take psychiatric medication for anxiety and ADHD, which helps them. But another narrator gets a recommendation to take medicine when he doesn't actually need it. What do you think would help this character instead? Why do you think he isn't "allowed" to go through a hard time?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Activism ( Racial justice ) , Family Stories , Friendship , History , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Crown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : March 11, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 160
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 17, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate