Born to Fly

by Michael Ferrari

Book Overview

Born to Fly tells the story of eleven-year-old tomboy Bird McGill. Ever since she can remember, Bird has loved flying in small propeller airplanes with her mechanic dad. When the local airstrip is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385737157
• ISBN13: 9780385737159
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Great For All Ages

Born to Fly is a great book for everyone. It's well written, story moves quickly, and characters are well developed. I gave copies to my family and they keep raving about it (my father-in-law hopes they'll make a movie out of this book). It's well done -- get a copy and enjoy!

Wonderful Action/Good Plot Twists

I run a book club for 10-13 year old girls. This book was very well received and led to a lot of excellent conversation and opinions. I think children and adults would like this book especially since those Countrymen and women who fought in WWII are passing on and our stories become more faded over time. This speaks of history, friendship, sacrifice and many other valuable messages.

A little bit of everything for everyone...

This was a fantastic read - I sat down to read a few chapters and couldn't put the book until I was finished. All the characters in the book have depth and I felt just totally immersed in Bird's adventure. The story provided real suspense but also hope and understanding and true integrity. Although it starts about a girl proving she's not be a 'sissy', it was a really poignant and touching coming of age story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Born to Fly is great!

Michael Ferrari's first book, Born to Fly, is wonderful. Bird, her family, and friends are well defined. The book contains elements of racism, sexism, and espionage - all written for middle grade youth. Set in 1941 the author manages to give the reader the flavor of the era as well as the personality elements that are ageless. I believe Michael is destined to be a highly successful writer. Good job, Michael

Recomended for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. (SPOILER IN REVIEW)

As a librarian, I catalog a lot of childrens and young adult books. I try to read the ones that catch my eye. "Born to fly" is definitely one for parents and teachers to suggest to their kids. This is one of a small group of books that gives the reader some historical content (it's set in 1941, WWII) without bogging down the action and losing the main point of the story which is that, "girls can be action heroes just as well as boys." From this point of view, the story should speak to any generation of children. It may also be a good read for children who have lost parents to the war, helping them to carry on. The book also introduces the reader to the problems that happen when predjudice runs above reason (the problems that Japanese Americans encountered during WWII). The adventurous pace and humor move the story along fast enough that even difficult readers should be enticed.