The Someday Birds

Sally J. Pla is an American children’s author. Her publications include the titles The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn; Ada and Zaz; Benji, the Bad Day, and Me; Stanley Will Probably Be Fine; Invisible Isabel; No World Too Big; and The Someday Birds. On her website, Pla writes that her goal as an author is to write stories about “learning to push past fear,” “learning to feel more ease in the world,” and learning “that things—learning that YOU—can get better, all the time” (“About.” Sally J. Pla). Pla is known for her heartwarming coming-of-age and self-discovery stories for children and young adults. In particular, Pla’s books are meant to create awareness for neurodiverse people and people with autism. Pla was diagnosed with autism later in life and has since devoted her career to telling stories that underscore “everything we have in common” (“About”).

Pla’s personal experiences inform many of her stories, particularly her main character Charlie’s story in The Someday Birds. Like Charlie, Pla lives in Southern California, loves dogs, and finds comfort being in nature. She particularly discovered how healing and calming nature can be when she “felt a lot of self-doubt and fear as a child” (“About”). Pla therefore uses her own experiences to inform and authenticate Charlie’s throughout the novel. Furthermore, Pla’s website A Novel Mind provides resources for individuals with autism and spreads awareness for other neurodiverse experiences.

Pla’s books have since won wide recognition in the literary world. The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn won the ALA Schneider Award, and The Someday Birds won the Dolly Gray Award. Her other titles have received starred reviews or been included on many “best of” lists, state awards lists, and “best books” roundups (“About”). Her books are likened to other stories featuring young adults overcoming difficult situations, such as Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Gillian McDunn’s Honestly Elliott, Schuyler Bailar’s Obie Is Man Enough, and Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s The Discomfort of Evening.