Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan

(I have written a song for this review) … Swordbird is a children’s fantasy novel written by Chinese-American Nancy Yi Fan after the events of September 11, 2001. The fact that it was written by a 12 year old, and carries an unmistakable message of peace, has made it a popular choice for elementary school teachers’ required reading lists. I listened to the audio version with my kids in one evening. We all agreed that the plot was a lot like playing Angry Birds (and just as violent!). While the kids enjoyed it, I thought it was unoriginal and predictable with flat characters, clumsy dialog, cardstock villains, and trite messages. However, that’s because I’m comparing Swordbird to children’s books written by adults. Nancy Yi Fan’s accomplishment here is truly remarkable… I feel guilty giving Swordbird only two stars, but I need to keep it consistent with our rating system. Swordbird is just “okay” as a novel, but I give 5 stars to Nancy Yi Fan! Read the rest.