Hummingbird

Hatch meets Olive on her first day of sixth grade to push her wheelchair. Her excitement diminishes when she notices other students avoiding her. Hatch reluctantly admits teachers warned students of her condition. Olive worries Macklemore won’t live up to her hopes, but reassures herself that she will find a friend and magic. The school’s white-stone doors are carved with hummingbirds; Olive points the birds out to Hatch, and explains they are considered lucky in Tennessee. He cryptically responds that he’s counting on luck.

Olive meets her aide, Ms. Pigeon, a strict woman who is reluctant to let her do anything for herself. While she appreciates Ms. Pigeon’s help, she is frustrated by the assumption that she can’t be independent. However, the new teacher Mr. Watson allows her to figure things out for herself and trusts her to ask for help. When he affirms Olive’s love of writing and emphasizes the importance of finding miracles in everyday life, she feels inspired. She meets two potential friends: Grace Cho, who enters the classroom wearing a pair of cardboard wings, and Ransom McCallister, who lends Olive a pen and leaves her flustered. To her surprise, Hatch doesn’t talk to anyone, contradicting his projected image of popularity.