by Janice Lipsky (Author), Carrie a. Schultz (Illustrator)
Twelve-year old Daniel Wilson shares an unusual hobby with his father, Jed. They breed and race homing pigeons But father and son don't see eye to eye on the purpose of the birds. Jed views the birds as competitors - he needs to win his bet on which bird will come in first in every race. But Daniel has a special gift. He understands the birds and comes to discover he can even talk to them In fact, his star racing pigeon - Woot - becomes his secret best friend. As Daniel and Jed prepare Woot for the Southwest Regional Pigeon Race, everything is on the line. Will Woot win and prove to be the champion Daniel knows he is? Or will he lose the race and be cast off, like so many other pigeons who don't become racing stars? The stakes are high for both boy and bird as this desert adventure unfolds.