Skippy — Brigitte Gutsche

Book One in Holt's Friends series. Benjamin is the new boy in town and in his fourth grade class, small for his age, shy and thinks of himself as a coward. He has lost his only friend, a parrot called Skippy. Attempting to find the bird, he hs ventured into the 'off-limits' woods and has been roughed up by a group of older boys for his pcket change. Screeching and pecking, Skippy comes to his rescue. Kevin, also ten years old and the class trouble-maker, is a born leader, admired by all the studens and he befriends Ben.