The Revolution of Birdie Randolph

Birdie is a high school student whose family life just got a little more complicated. Her aunt Carlene has returned to Chicago and moved in with Birdie’s family. Carlene is practically a stranger after years in and out of rehab, and there’s a tension between her parents and Carlene. It’s as if they’re hiding a secret that everyone except Birdie knows. Even her sister, Mimi, is acting strange. To top it off, it’s summer and Birdie’s strict mom has “encouraged” her to take an SAT prep class, where she bumps into her ex-boyfriend, Mitchell. Booker is the boy she’s interested in now, but he’s been to juvie and her parents wouldn’t approve. Birdie’s life may not be perfect—it’s all work and no play—but Birdie doesn’t want to disappoint her family. If only she could figure out a way to be with Booker. But there’s more to her aunt’s return than Birdie realizes, and buried secrets threaten to destroy her close-knit family.

Brandy Colbert’s The Revolution of Birdie Randolph is set against the backdrop of Chicago’s greystones and rhythmic “L”. Birdie is a smart, idealistic sixteen-year-old whose struggle to please both a controlling mother and a boy she can’t stop thinking about pulls the reader through the emotions of young love and family loyalty.