Kestrel Takes Flight, Joy McCullough
Kestrel Takes Flight, Joy McCullough
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Kestrel Takes Flight

Author: Joy McCullough

Narrator: Mirai

Unabridged: 2 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/26/2026


Synopsis

Two starred reviews!

A girl learns to stand up for herself and embrace the true meaning of home against the backdrop of the Montana wilderness in this heartfelt novel in verse by acclaimed author Joy McCullough that is a “quietly powerful exploration of courage, chosen family, and learning to trust yourself” (Booklist).

A kestrel
is the smallest
bird of prey
in North America.

Kestrel doesn’t feel much like the fierce bird for which she is named. Not after being rushed away from her grandfather’s strict church community to the wilds of Montana. Her mother has gotten a job at a conservation institute, where she’ll work with a special breed of dog to help make interactions between humans and bears safer.

At first, Kes is terrified of the dogs and angry at her mother for ripping her from the only world she’s known. But with some distance from her grandfather, she starts to understand how badly his bark hurt. In this new terrain, can Kestrel discover a safe place to spread her wings and soar?

About Joy McCullough

Joy McCullough writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children. She is the author of the middle grade novels Across the Pond, A Field Guide to Getting LostNot Starring Zadie LouiseCode Red, Kestrel Takes Flight, and Basil & Dahlia, as well as the middle grade series Team Awkward, and the picture books Harriet’s Ruffled Feathers, Champ and Major: First Dogs, and The Story of a Book. Her debut novel Blood Water Paint was longlisted for the National Book Award and was a William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist. Visit her at JoyMcCullough.com.


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Quotes

"Mirai's renderings of Kestrel, her family, and fellow workers at the institute thoughtfully depict the protagonists' growth." —Kirkus

"Kestrel and her mother leave the home in California they share with Kestrel's grandfather, a pastor, to stay at a wildlife conservation institute in Montana. Narrator Mirai's youthful voice is a natural fit for this story of a young girl who at first resents being tricked into leaving California, but who later comes to realize that moving away from their strict home life was the right choice. Mirai employs distinctive voices for the adults, like Kestrel's stern grandfather and her uncertain mother, who begins gaining confidence. An author's note at the end discusses emotional abuse and how to find help." Kirkus