Birds of a feather solve crime together in this riveting middle grade mystery! When eight endangered macaws are stolen from a bird sanctuary in the Mayan ruins of Copán, four sleuthing cousins must find out who took them—and why. Nico and his cousins don't have much in common, but they're all excited to visit the Mayan ruins at Copán and witness the release of the scarlet macaws. Nearly extinct in Honduras, eight of these majestic birds are about to be introduced to a brand new bird sanctuary. But on the eve of the big day the birds are stolen! Who could have planned this bewildering bird heist —and why? Nico and his cousins are determined to find out—and anyone could be a suspect: poachers, developers, Mama's annoying novio . . . The investigation will take them from bustling downtown Copán to the mist-shrouded ruins of Macaw Mountain, uniting the cousins as they unravel a plot far stranger than any of them could have imagined. María José Fitzgerald is a teacher and children’s author. Her favorite stories usually include animals, friendship, family, and magic. She grew up snorkeling and hiking in her homeland of Honduras, where nature and culture nourished her soul. Her debut novel, Turtles of the Midnight Moon won the Green Earth Book Award and was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, among other honors. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, walking her dogs, or maybe out on a family mountain-bike ride. 1 Nico Nico Paz-Murcia cursed the day the birds arrived. He awoke to their obnoxious squawking, like he had every day for the last three weeks. He bit down on his lip as more squawks ruined his much-needed summer snooze. The eight loud scarlet macaws were hungry, and the only way to get them to stop screaming was to feed them. Nico crawled out of bed, slipped on his black Converse, and joined his sister in the kitchen. There he splashed cold water on his freckled face while Tessa's mumbling-and the raucous honking of their avian neighbors-reverberated between his temples. "Nicolás? Did you hear me?" Tessa said. "The rolls are still warm. Hurry up and eat so we can go!" His sister was always anxious to get to the birds. "Sorry. It was a little hard to hear you with the water running and the guaras yapping," Nico grumbled. "Doña Josefina delivered these this morning," Tessa said between mouthfuls of a fresh pancito from their neighbor, the best baker in the Sacred Valley. Doña Josefina's pan dulce, sweet rolls, and cookies were perfection. Nico plopped himself on a chair, grabbed a hot bun from the basket, and shoved it into his face. "This is the only good thing about being on this maldita montaña all summer," he mumbled. "At least we get good bread." "This mountain isn't cursed. Plus, we have the most beautiful winged neighbors," Tessa said. She took a sip of water and looked out the window in the direction of the macaws. "I should get earplugs, like Felipe did," Nico said. "Smart guy." "He's smart, but Felipe's the grumpiest guy this side of the mountain," Tessa said. "He's right to be annoyed by them," Nico said. "They don't let anyone sleep past seven." "The guy's mother is a baker. I don't think he's ever slept past seven. But you're right. If we don't hurry up and feed the macaws, Felipe will be banging on our door soon to shut them up." "Did Mamá leave for work, or did she go for a jog?" Their mother was another early bird. Nico hoped she hadn't left yet, though it felt like all she did lately was work. "Out on her morning jog," Tessa replied. "Remember when she and Papá would go together?" "Of course I remember," Tessa said. They got quiet. Neither of them liked to talk about how things used to be. Nico missed it terribly. He and Tessa went to school in the city, where their dad lived and worked. Mamá spent most of her time at the archaeological park in Copán, digging tunnels and finding eccentric relics. As soon as school had ended, Papá made the three-hour trek with them to Copán, dropped them off, and went straight back to the city. Sixth grade had stunk for many reasons, but the biggest one was their parents' separation. At least his primos, Jackie and Emilio, were coming to visit them from the States for that summer. The last time Nico had seen Jackie, his favorite cousin, they'd both been missing their two front teeth. Now that they were twelve, Nico wondered what she was like. He couldn't quite remember the sound of her voice or the color of her eyes, but he remembered how much fun they'd had. They'd discovered their love of Rubik's Cubes together, and Nico recalled wanting to always be by her side. Were Jackie's eyes as dark as his own? Perhaps her skin tanned easily and became more intensely freckled when exposed to a few minutes of sun, like his did. Though his aunt had sent pictures, it was hard to tell those kinds of things from a photograph. Nico was better at remembering feelings than faces. Most important, Nico hoped that Jackie would