Flying South

By Laura Malone Elliott

Book Overview

In the sticky-hot summer of 1968, a year in American history marked by assassinations, Vietnam War protests, and civil rights rioting, Alice faces some trying concerns of her own. Alice longs for a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074607381X
• ISBN13: 9780746073810
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Usborne Books
• Length: 178 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Flying South Soars

This book is a book to treasure. Each chapter is a gem, offering a pearl of life-wisdom. Our mother-daughter book club read it. The fourth-grade girls and the moms all loved it. We could have stayed up well into the night in boundless discussion, for the book?s facets are rich and varied. It is not an action-packed book, although it has plenty of drama. It?s the story of one summer in the life of ten-year-old Alice, who lives near Charlottesville, Virginia. Set in 1968, Alice?s personal life reflects the turbulent times around her as she struggles to emerge from the cocoon of her childhood and begin facing the realities and complexities of life?s relationships. Along the way, Alice absorbs life lessons from a diverse cast of characters: Doc, the wizened, grumpy gardener; Edna, the gentle, dignified cook; Bridget, the spoiled, sassy rich friend; and Grace, the self-absorbed, yet caring mom. Alice learns from - and also teaches - each of these people some of life?s most fundamental truths. The author has done a superb job of depicting the emotions and feelings wrapped up in a child?s mind. Our fourth-grade girls had an easy time resonating with Alice. If you are looking for a book that thoughtfully addresses (even one of) the fundamental issues facing young girls today - the difficulty of coping with a friend who thinks she?s better than others; the value of being true to oneself; the loss of a dearly loved one; the challenge of standing up for what we believe; the joy in healing relationships; the way to gracefully accept, rather than fight, change ? then this is the book for you and your daughter. It is beautifully written, with an elegance and poise that is compelling. It deserves to become a classic.