Root & Wing

The trees saw the crime. The bird heard the name. Only the boy can tell the world. In the fog-drenched valley of Vesper's Reach, eleven-year-old Silas Thorne experiences the world through vibrations instead of words. The earth speaks to him in pulses and metaphors-Sun-Thirst, Deep-Drink, and now a chilling new warning: the Silver-Choke. Something unnatural is poisoning the land. Silas can feel what is wrong, but he can't name it-until help arrives on ash-grey wings.
Marley, a sharp-tongued African Grey parrot with a photographic memory and a talent for quoting overheard conversations, once belonged to Silas's late grandfather, a legendary botanist. While plants cry out in pain, Marley remembers exactly who caused it-and repeats their crimes word for word. Together, they form The Root & Wing Agency, an unlikely partnership racing to uncover a developer's secret pollution scheme before the valley's ancient heart-the Vesper Matriarch, a towering willow older than memory-slips into a fatal Long-Sleep.
Blending environmental mystery, gentle magical realism, and emotional storytelling, Root & Wing is a story about listening-to the land, to the forgotten, and to voices that are usually ignored. Perfect for readers who love: Nature-centered fantasy  Eco-conscious adventures  Emotionally rich middle-grade fiction  Stories with intelligent animal companions  Thoughtful, lyrical prose with heart  A quietly powerful novel about truth, stewardship, and the courage to speak for those who cannot.