The Republic of Birds

The Republic of Birds is a captivating middle-grade fantasy for ages 4-11, following Olga, a young witch in a kingdom where magic is forbidden. After her family is exiled, Olga's younger sister, Mira, is kidnapped by the enigmatic birds of the forbidden Republic. Olga, who has always felt like an outsider, must now confront her burgeoning magical abilities and venture into a perilous world of talking birds and living dreams to rescue Mira. This story explores themes of self-acceptance, sibling love, and bravery, set against a backdrop of civil unrest and ancient magic. Parents should note the moderate peril and themes of a tyrannical government, but the overall message is one of empowerment and courage.

A young witch must save her sister from evil birds in this masterful middle-grade fantasy In the land of Tsaretsvo, civil war has divided the human tsardom from the Republic of Birds. Magic is outlawed, and young witches, or yagas, are sent to a mysterious boarding school, from which no one has returned. Olga and her family live a life of dull privilege in the capital until her father displeases the tyrannical tsarina. The family is sent off into exile at the Imperial Center for Avian Observation, an isolated shack near the Republic of Birds. Unlike the rest of her family, Olga doesn't particularly mind their strange new life. She never fit into aristocratic society as well as her perfect younger sister, Mira. But what does worry Olga is her blossoming magical abilities. If anyone found out, they'd send her away. But then Mira is kidnapped by the birds, and Olga has no choice but to enter the forbidden Republic, a dangerous world full of yagas, talking birds, and living dreams. To navigate the Republic and save her sister, she'll need her wits, her cunning--and even her magic.