A boy's knowledge of birds becomes essential when his friend goes missing during a war against destructive forces.After his father loses his job, Xavier T. Fletcher and his family move in with Nana Susan on her goat farm. Xavier is skittish around the herd but happy to have space for bird-watching, even though his family mocks his hobby. One day, he's shocked to see the sky rip open and a magpie fly through the Rend, holding a marblelike object in its beak. Neighbor girl Clem Branham reveals that an ongoing battle's underway between our world and the cold, dark Nother. The birds are Carriers, and the marbles, or Crumbs, are like seeds that sow decay in people's souls and in our land. Clem and her family are Keepers of the bees that labor to catch Carriers. But with the bee population in decline, Clem risks her safety to catch Carriers and inactivate the Crumbs by immersing them in sugar or honey. Xavier finds it hard to suspend disbelief even as he witnesses the consequences of this struggle. With the balance tipping in favor of the Nother, the tension builds-and Clem goes missing. Xavier can help, but his ability to act and persuade others is key. The worldbuilding is tight in this eerie take on the battle between good and evil with a distinct message about the environmental impact of human activity. Characters are cued white.Searing and satisfying. (Fantasy. 8-12)