ce of The Aves." - Noriko Nakada, author of Through Eyes Like Mine

Plenty of things in Zora's youth would seem strange to others, but they're perfectly normal to her. Her mother's fixation with germs, and parties, and the power of names. Her father, who Zora rarely sees, disappearing among the stars as his biggest claim to fame. Her role in explaining things to her younger sister, even as Zora works to discover her own philosophies of life. And her neighborhood, a one-way street with an entrance but no exit, where her world is transformed by the vibrant residents of the Aves.

In the late 1980s, a preteen Zora thinks she wants more. More than an honorable name. More than glimpses of glory captured in window frames. More than her own anecdotal tales that lay bare the lesson: surviving childhood can be as intricate as the intertwined streets of Los Angeles. But as Zora grows, so does her story. Her desire for more is transformed into tribute: the Aves - a mapping project of a magnificent people.