A review by yapha
Nightingale's Nest by Nikki Loftin

5.0

Little John's family has fallen apart since the death of his younger sister. They used all of their savings for her funeral, and are barely getting by. Although he is only 12, Little John goes to work with his father, cutting back trees on The Emperor's land. Not a real emperor, Mr. Azariah King is nicknamed that due to his wealth and his stores, as well as his attitude. It is while helping his father that Little Jon first hears Gayle sing. She sounds like nothing in this world. Little John feels an immediate need to protect this young girl, a foster child living next door to Mr. King, in all of the ways that he couldn't protect his own sister. But when The Emperor offers Little John an enormous amount of money to help him record Gayle's voice, how can he refuse? This reimagining of Hans Christian Anderson's The Nightingale is powerful and haunting, full of hard choices and harsh consequences. Highly recommended to grades 5 & up.