Kaya is troubled by a terrible nickname. Her friends call her “Magpie,” after an untrustworthy bird that thinks only of itself. Kaya earned her nickname because her little twin brothers wandered off when they were in her care-while Kaya competed in a daring bareback horse race. Although Kaya finds the boys safe, she still must face a punishment. All her friends must, too, since one person’s actions affect everyone’s safety. The sting of the switch hurts less than the sting of her friends’ teasing. A nickname is a strict teacher, and Kaya is fiercely determined to become a better person, one who thinks of others before herself-a girl no one will ever call “Magpie” again.
