Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

 No one in our town knew my brother existed. 

Nightbird follows in the tradition of Pie and A snicker of Magic.  It contains delicious food, a small town filled with secrets that relate to past events and a young girl who needs to find her place in her family, her school and her town.

Twig (Teresa) and her mother have moved from New York back to a small town in Massachusetts called Sidwell where generations of the Fowler family have always lived. Mum is a talented baker and this town is famous for their pink apples. It seems Johnny Appleseed once visited. As the seasons change Ms Fowler makes delicious treats such as Pink Apple Pie (recipe), Apple Cider, strawberry rhubarb pie and peach pie. Twig's older brother James is with them too but no one in the town has ever seen him. Twig lives a reclusive life because her mother is so afraid someone will discover the truth about James.

Four generations ago a witch, Agnes Early, put a curse on all men in the Fowler family.

"Let him fly even faster from me if that's what he desires! 

Let him have wings!"

A new family move into Mourning Dove Cottage. It seems this family have a connection with the curse. When James sees the elder daughter Agate Hall he falls in love just as Agnes and Lowell fell in love two hundred years ago. Can Twig and her new friend Julia Hall break the curse which in turn will set her brother free?

Adding to all of this there is a developer who has plans to build a housing development and a shopping mall in the beautiful woods beside the town. James, who loves to fly at night, has a affinity with birds especially owls, but someone is putting graffiti messages all over the town. There is a rumour about a monster. Things disappear from porches, kitchen tables and washing lines. Is the monster James? Are people in danger? Small town gossip is a dangerous thing.

Here are some reviews:
Kirkus - Enchanting
Kids Book Review
The Book Bag - "The prose is elegant and lyrical and it flows like a dream."
KidsReads - Compelling

You can read the first chapter of Nightbird here on the publisher web site. You can read an interview with Alice Hoffman.  I would follow Nightbird with The Girl who Could fly and Night Flying by Rita Murphy. If you also want to pursue the idea of saving a wilderness area and an endangered species you could compare Nightbird with Hoot by Carl Hiaasen.