What do you think?
Rate this book
Born to Fly
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 turned into a military flight school, Bird is in heaven. But when a young Japanese American student named Kenji Fujita joins Bird's class, the entire school seems to be convinced that he's a spy, or at the very least, that he and his uncle want the Japanese to win. Bird is wary of Kenji, not just because he's Japanese, but because he steals her flight-related topic for a school report and leaves her to write about the deadly boring local marsh weed. But on Bird's first trip to the marsh, she and Kenji accidentally discover real spy activity in the area. Bird realizes that Kenji is actually a stand-up guy, and she and Kenji begin an adventure that will shake the town and may even change the future of the United States.
Winner of the Dell Yearling Contest
Winner of the Dell Yearling Contest
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
October 21, 2010
To read an interview with author Michael Ferrari, or to read other interviews with writers and literary agents, log onto my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com.
Born to Fly is a an extemely enjoyable adventure novel that stars a girl, but which will be loved by both boys and girls. Ferrari’s writing is wonderful throughout and I have a number of great excerpts to share with you. To start with, here is the novel's first sentence:
Just because I was a girl in 1941, don’t think I was some sissy. Shoot, I saw stuff that would’ve made that bully Farley Peck pee right through his pants.
I love that opening because it does three things right away: it introduces our character and gives the reader a feel for her, it promises conflict, and it just comes right out with the date. I’m often frustrated with historical novels that wait ten or twenty or even fifty pages to tell me when the story is taking place. Granted, sometimes it’s more important to open with an exciting event or a character exchange and not every novel can or should begin with a character reading a newspaper or listening to the date on the radio.
But whenever possible, if the time period is important to a story, it’s better if writers follow Ferrari’s lead and just come right out with the date. Otherwise, I, and I don’t think I’m the only one, will be distracted through the first part of the story checking the back cover or skimming ahead to find a date and a frame of reference—that’s valuable time that I’m not hooked by the writer and being drawn into the narrative.
I could tell you about the main character in Born to Fly, but Ferrari does a much better job of writing a resonating character description to catch the reader’s imagination:
Seeing me in my World War One pilot’s skullcap and goggles and my Huck Finn dungarees, you would’ve never guessed that someone with a neat name like Bird McGill was actually just an eleven-year-old girl.
Can't you just see her standing there? And look, Ferrari did the same thing with the character's age he did with the date. It just saves time.
We learn all about Bird’s love of flying and her heart’s fondest desire to be a fighter pilot despite the fact that she’s a girl—remember, this is 1941. So Ferrari’s protagonist has a goal firmly in place to drive the narrative, but Ferrari is too smart to just leave it at that. Two important things happen at the start of the novel. The first is the bombing of Pearl Harbor, resulting in Bird’s father being called to war.
As important, if not more so in terms of the novel's plot (not American History), Bird’s best friend moves away and she is lonely. This creates a second subconscious desire in Bird and an unstated goal for the protagonist: not only does she want to fly, she needs a friend, and the reader recognizes this even if Bird does not. Ferrari doesn’t just tell us Bird is lonely, he shows us:
Sitting on the roof of our barn, I had a bird’s-eye view of our backyard picnic table and the remnants of my unattended birthday party—un-used hats, clean paper plates, unopened party favors. Mom had made me hand out invitations to all the girls in my class. Not a single one came. They weren’t my friends or anything, but still, when you’re ten years old, you have to really despise someone to turn down free cake and ice cream.
Fortunately for lonely Bird, there’s a new boy at school. A new Japanese boy. Just after Pearl Harbor. He’s staying with his Uncle because his parents are “away.” There’s also an airport in this sleepy Rhode Island town where they train pilots with PS-40s. Could it be Bird will manage to fly one? Will she and Kenji, the new Japanese boys become friends during such a turbulent time? Are there spies hiding in town developing nefarious plots against America from within (and actually, wouldn’t it be weird that I brought it up if there weren’t)?
I can say no more, Esteemed Reader, lest I risk ruin your reading of Mr. Ferrari’s novel. And you should read it because it’s really, really good. That concludes my review. Let’s talk craft.
As I promised to shorten these posts, I’m going to show two examples from the book of historical details used to great effect, and then I’m going to plug upcoming interviews again, and then I’ll leave you with some choice passages. Sound like a plan? Ready… break!
Example One:
When I got there she was just sitting on the front porch swing in the same black dress she'd been wearing for two months. Her eyes didn't even move. They just stared down at this portrait she clutched of her son, Carlie in his white Navy Uniform... ...I stared up at the gold star in her window. It wasn't as pretty as you’d think. Normally, you’d figure that gold is better than blue—but it wasn’t to anyone who knew what a gold star meant. I bet the Widow Gorman would have given everything in the world to trade that gold star for a blue one, if she could.
I’ve talked about this before in my review of Emma’s River, but I firmly believe the best historical writers find historical details linked to death and/or gruesome events. Why? Because readers are sick and they like it. Especially young readers.
A good historical writer doesn’t try to fully recreate the past in the mind of their reader—those who do often bore their readers. All the historical details in the world aren’t going to change the fact that Born to Fly is being read by mostly younger readers in 2010 who were not alive in 1941 and have no direct frame of reference. For many, Pearl Harbor is a movie about shirtless Ben Affleck, and the day is soon coming when there will be children who don’t even know who Ben Affleck was (please God, not this day).
The thing to do then is to cherry pick the most interesting and most necessary details to create more the suggestion of the past than the past itself. Helpful tip: human beings die, they don’t like it, and their ears prickle at the faintest whisper of the possibility of death occurring sooner than predicted (never). Details regarding anything to do with death garner immediate reader curiosity. But be careful! Details too gruesome, particularly in a book targeted at a younger audience, will turn off readers. Gross them out too much and they’ll put the book down
The morbid detail of the gold star and its impact to a family is spot on perfect. It’s interesting and it illuminates the atmosphere of worry and sorrow back home during the war, creating instant empathy in the reader—it’s not all bloodlust:) What if that star were on my window, the reader thinks. If this were the only detail of WWII presented (it isn’t), it would be nearly enough. The reader might still be imagining a somewhat inaccurate world of shirtless Ben Affleck (inaccurate, but so right), but he/she gets the main concept: during WWII, someone you love might not come home
Later, Ferrari uses this idea he’s intentionally cultivated in the reader’s mind to great effect. While out in a field, Bird is bombed by a bag of flour by a pilot in training, which is another interesting detail. Who knew test pilot’s practiced with flour? But the purpose of this scene is to set up a meeting between Bird and the pilot as their meeting is important to the later plot.
Ferrari could have brought the two together after this in any number of settings, but he has wisely chosen the one guaranteed to generate maximum suspense, which also reinforces the reader's sense of war-time tension:
Suddenly the doorbell rang and I jumped right out of my bed. You see, out where we lived our doorbell almost never rang, especially at night. After a moment I could hear Mom’s slow, measured footsteps cross to the door. I ran to the top of the stairs and stuck my head through the banister to see. As Mom opened the door, I noticed that her hand was shaking. On our doorstep were two Army Air Corps officers standing at attention, one behind the other. The older one in front took off his hat.
“Mrs. McGill?” he asked.
Mom took a deep breath. Like she was bracing herself for something bad, which made my hand clutch the banister.
“I’m Captain Winston; this is Lieutenant Peppel.” The captain stepped aside.
Lieutenant Peppel stepped forward, head bowed. “Ma’am, I’m awful sorry.”
Mom covered her mouth. “Oh God!”
“The lieutenant thought it was part of the exercise, Mr. McGill,” the captain explained.
“I had no idea your little sprout was gonna be out on the airfield this mornin’,” said the young lieutenant.
It’s great stuff isn’t it? I could go on and tell you how much I admire Ferrari’s courage in presenting 1941 children as the bigots they were saying the racist things the likely would have said. Sanitized history is a lie and showing or at least hinting at the darker parts of the time establishes authorial credibility. I could go on about that, but I won’t. I promised short, so we’ll call it a review.
Born to Fly is well worth your time and dollars. It also won the Delacorte Yearling Prize for a First Middle-Grade Novel and if you’ve got a novel and you sure would like to win that, you should definitely read this book so you know how much you’re going to have to up your game.
As usual, I’ll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Born to Fly:
Alvin was only four but he had a voice like Louis Armstrong. It was so deep and hoarse, like he woke up gargling like a bullfrog. You’d never believe it could come out of such a small person.
Embarrassing? She spent an hour every morning stuffing socks in her bra and I was embarrassing.
The snow sprinkled over the families saying goodbye on the platform like giant grains of rice at one of Father Krauss’s weddings. The conductor whistled and the soldiers and sailors reluctantly grabbed their duffle bags, kissed goodbye, and filed on board.
A description of a plane--MGN: It was a beautiful noise, a distant hum that was somehow strangely familiar, like a billion bumblebees swarming home to the hive.
...Mrs. Simmons, whose flabby arms were busy flapping as she wrote on the blackboard.
In front of me was a towering man, dressed all in black, with a knit mask pulled over his face. But I could see his eyes. They were dark and empty, like a shark's. He grabbed me, lifting me off the ground, and covered my mouth so that I couldn't scream.
To read an interview with author Michael Ferrari, or to read other interviews with writers and literary agents, log onto my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com.
Born to Fly is a an extemely enjoyable adventure novel that stars a girl, but which will be loved by both boys and girls. Ferrari’s writing is wonderful throughout and I have a number of great excerpts to share with you. To start with, here is the novel's first sentence:
Just because I was a girl in 1941, don’t think I was some sissy. Shoot, I saw stuff that would’ve made that bully Farley Peck pee right through his pants.
I love that opening because it does three things right away: it introduces our character and gives the reader a feel for her, it promises conflict, and it just comes right out with the date. I’m often frustrated with historical novels that wait ten or twenty or even fifty pages to tell me when the story is taking place. Granted, sometimes it’s more important to open with an exciting event or a character exchange and not every novel can or should begin with a character reading a newspaper or listening to the date on the radio.
But whenever possible, if the time period is important to a story, it’s better if writers follow Ferrari’s lead and just come right out with the date. Otherwise, I, and I don’t think I’m the only one, will be distracted through the first part of the story checking the back cover or skimming ahead to find a date and a frame of reference—that’s valuable time that I’m not hooked by the writer and being drawn into the narrative.
I could tell you about the main character in Born to Fly, but Ferrari does a much better job of writing a resonating character description to catch the reader’s imagination:
Seeing me in my World War One pilot’s skullcap and goggles and my Huck Finn dungarees, you would’ve never guessed that someone with a neat name like Bird McGill was actually just an eleven-year-old girl.
Can't you just see her standing there? And look, Ferrari did the same thing with the character's age he did with the date. It just saves time.
We learn all about Bird’s love of flying and her heart’s fondest desire to be a fighter pilot despite the fact that she’s a girl—remember, this is 1941. So Ferrari’s protagonist has a goal firmly in place to drive the narrative, but Ferrari is too smart to just leave it at that. Two important things happen at the start of the novel. The first is the bombing of Pearl Harbor, resulting in Bird’s father being called to war.
As important, if not more so in terms of the novel's plot (not American History), Bird’s best friend moves away and she is lonely. This creates a second subconscious desire in Bird and an unstated goal for the protagonist: not only does she want to fly, she needs a friend, and the reader recognizes this even if Bird does not. Ferrari doesn’t just tell us Bird is lonely, he shows us:
Sitting on the roof of our barn, I had a bird’s-eye view of our backyard picnic table and the remnants of my unattended birthday party—un-used hats, clean paper plates, unopened party favors. Mom had made me hand out invitations to all the girls in my class. Not a single one came. They weren’t my friends or anything, but still, when you’re ten years old, you have to really despise someone to turn down free cake and ice cream.
Fortunately for lonely Bird, there’s a new boy at school. A new Japanese boy. Just after Pearl Harbor. He’s staying with his Uncle because his parents are “away.” There’s also an airport in this sleepy Rhode Island town where they train pilots with PS-40s. Could it be Bird will manage to fly one? Will she and Kenji, the new Japanese boys become friends during such a turbulent time? Are there spies hiding in town developing nefarious plots against America from within (and actually, wouldn’t it be weird that I brought it up if there weren’t)?
I can say no more, Esteemed Reader, lest I risk ruin your reading of Mr. Ferrari’s novel. And you should read it because it’s really, really good. That concludes my review. Let’s talk craft.
As I promised to shorten these posts, I’m going to show two examples from the book of historical details used to great effect, and then I’m going to plug upcoming interviews again, and then I’ll leave you with some choice passages. Sound like a plan? Ready… break!
Example One:
When I got there she was just sitting on the front porch swing in the same black dress she'd been wearing for two months. Her eyes didn't even move. They just stared down at this portrait she clutched of her son, Carlie in his white Navy Uniform... ...I stared up at the gold star in her window. It wasn't as pretty as you’d think. Normally, you’d figure that gold is better than blue—but it wasn’t to anyone who knew what a gold star meant. I bet the Widow Gorman would have given everything in the world to trade that gold star for a blue one, if she could.
I’ve talked about this before in my review of Emma’s River, but I firmly believe the best historical writers find historical details linked to death and/or gruesome events. Why? Because readers are sick and they like it. Especially young readers.
A good historical writer doesn’t try to fully recreate the past in the mind of their reader—those who do often bore their readers. All the historical details in the world aren’t going to change the fact that Born to Fly is being read by mostly younger readers in 2010 who were not alive in 1941 and have no direct frame of reference. For many, Pearl Harbor is a movie about shirtless Ben Affleck, and the day is soon coming when there will be children who don’t even know who Ben Affleck was (please God, not this day).
The thing to do then is to cherry pick the most interesting and most necessary details to create more the suggestion of the past than the past itself. Helpful tip: human beings die, they don’t like it, and their ears prickle at the faintest whisper of the possibility of death occurring sooner than predicted (never). Details regarding anything to do with death garner immediate reader curiosity. But be careful! Details too gruesome, particularly in a book targeted at a younger audience, will turn off readers. Gross them out too much and they’ll put the book down
The morbid detail of the gold star and its impact to a family is spot on perfect. It’s interesting and it illuminates the atmosphere of worry and sorrow back home during the war, creating instant empathy in the reader—it’s not all bloodlust:) What if that star were on my window, the reader thinks. If this were the only detail of WWII presented (it isn’t), it would be nearly enough. The reader might still be imagining a somewhat inaccurate world of shirtless Ben Affleck (inaccurate, but so right), but he/she gets the main concept: during WWII, someone you love might not come home
Later, Ferrari uses this idea he’s intentionally cultivated in the reader’s mind to great effect. While out in a field, Bird is bombed by a bag of flour by a pilot in training, which is another interesting detail. Who knew test pilot’s practiced with flour? But the purpose of this scene is to set up a meeting between Bird and the pilot as their meeting is important to the later plot.
Ferrari could have brought the two together after this in any number of settings, but he has wisely chosen the one guaranteed to generate maximum suspense, which also reinforces the reader's sense of war-time tension:
Suddenly the doorbell rang and I jumped right out of my bed. You see, out where we lived our doorbell almost never rang, especially at night. After a moment I could hear Mom’s slow, measured footsteps cross to the door. I ran to the top of the stairs and stuck my head through the banister to see. As Mom opened the door, I noticed that her hand was shaking. On our doorstep were two Army Air Corps officers standing at attention, one behind the other. The older one in front took off his hat.
“Mrs. McGill?” he asked.
Mom took a deep breath. Like she was bracing herself for something bad, which made my hand clutch the banister.
“I’m Captain Winston; this is Lieutenant Peppel.” The captain stepped aside.
Lieutenant Peppel stepped forward, head bowed. “Ma’am, I’m awful sorry.”
Mom covered her mouth. “Oh God!”
“The lieutenant thought it was part of the exercise, Mr. McGill,” the captain explained.
“I had no idea your little sprout was gonna be out on the airfield this mornin’,” said the young lieutenant.
It’s great stuff isn’t it? I could go on and tell you how much I admire Ferrari’s courage in presenting 1941 children as the bigots they were saying the racist things the likely would have said. Sanitized history is a lie and showing or at least hinting at the darker parts of the time establishes authorial credibility. I could go on about that, but I won’t. I promised short, so we’ll call it a review.
Born to Fly is well worth your time and dollars. It also won the Delacorte Yearling Prize for a First Middle-Grade Novel and if you’ve got a novel and you sure would like to win that, you should definitely read this book so you know how much you’re going to have to up your game.
As usual, I’ll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Born to Fly:
Alvin was only four but he had a voice like Louis Armstrong. It was so deep and hoarse, like he woke up gargling like a bullfrog. You’d never believe it could come out of such a small person.
Embarrassing? She spent an hour every morning stuffing socks in her bra and I was embarrassing.
The snow sprinkled over the families saying goodbye on the platform like giant grains of rice at one of Father Krauss’s weddings. The conductor whistled and the soldiers and sailors reluctantly grabbed their duffle bags, kissed goodbye, and filed on board.
A description of a plane--MGN: It was a beautiful noise, a distant hum that was somehow strangely familiar, like a billion bumblebees swarming home to the hive.
...Mrs. Simmons, whose flabby arms were busy flapping as she wrote on the blackboard.
In front of me was a towering man, dressed all in black, with a knit mask pulled over his face. But I could see his eyes. They were dark and empty, like a shark's. He grabbed me, lifting me off the ground, and covered my mouth so that I couldn't scream.
To read an interview with author Michael Ferrari, or to read other interviews with writers and literary agents, log onto my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com.
April 9, 2022
Great little story. Strong character development and very easy to read
A history lesson as well as well written prose.
100% fun.
A history lesson as well as well written prose.
100% fun.
June 25, 2022
This was a good book set during WW2. It's about 2 young kids, around 11 years old, who developed an unlikely friendship. And in the end, they managed to work together, save the president, and become heroes.
January 19, 2025
Bird-McGill’s father has gone off to fight in World War II, and Bird would give anything to be flying with him in one of the P-40 fighter planes. She chafes under the rule of her mother—who doesn’t understand Bird’s tomboyish spirit and desire to fly—and invents adventures that no one in town takes seriously. She never expects to find a real adventure on her own doorstep! When a man is found murdered, suspicion falls on Japanese resident Mr. Tomo, and it’s up to Bird and her new friend Kenji—Mr. Tomo’s nephew—to uncover the real murderer. This is a tale of misunderstandings, friendship, danger, and acceptance, all rolled into an often-humorous adventure story.
This book is packed with story, in a relatively short page-count, and would be great for readers who are intimidated by thicker books, or are afraid that historical fiction is boring. The book does a great job of portraying the suspicion and fear surrounding anyone of Japanese heritage during the World War II era—which I did not know much about prior to reading this—and Bird and Kenji’s relationship develops very naturally as they come to understand one another better. I also appreciated the development of Bird and her mother’s relationship.
This title would be great to include in a unit about World War II, or about Japanese-American heritage, and would make a good read-aloud title, due to its pacing and exciting plot.
This book is packed with story, in a relatively short page-count, and would be great for readers who are intimidated by thicker books, or are afraid that historical fiction is boring. The book does a great job of portraying the suspicion and fear surrounding anyone of Japanese heritage during the World War II era—which I did not know much about prior to reading this—and Bird and Kenji’s relationship develops very naturally as they come to understand one another better. I also appreciated the development of Bird and her mother’s relationship.
This title would be great to include in a unit about World War II, or about Japanese-American heritage, and would make a good read-aloud title, due to its pacing and exciting plot.
July 15, 2012
Bird McGill loves flying. Her father has always encouraged her to follow her dreams even if they aren't what other little girls enjoy. But when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Bird's father must join the fighting. Bird must endure the school bullies on her own, until the day that a new boy moves in. This boy is Japanese-American and quickly becomes the scapegoat for the bullies. When he saves Bird from drowning, the two become friends. They begin to investigate a mysterious appearance in the bay by their town, what appears to be a submarine. What they find will put them in very real danger.
This was a really great piece of historical fiction, as well as adventure fiction with a strong female lead. The action is well-paced and exciting, and Bird is smart and resourceful. The courtroom scenes are very well depicted. The author did not try to sugar coat the sentiment about Japanese Americans. Instead the dialogue was very realistic.
This was a really great piece of historical fiction, as well as adventure fiction with a strong female lead. The action is well-paced and exciting, and Bird is smart and resourceful. The courtroom scenes are very well depicted. The author did not try to sugar coat the sentiment about Japanese Americans. Instead the dialogue was very realistic.
September 15, 2012
Absolutely AMAZING! I can't even describe how much I enjoyed this book. It caught my attention from the very beginning and throughout the book I was laughing, crying, and screaming in frustration (from the character's actions and feelings). I was not once confused except for when I read the pages so quick, I had no idea what just happened. I fell in love with Bird, her father, and so many other characters as well as hatred for several as well. The characters in the book really grow on you as you read on. In class, I was holding my breath to stop myself from laughing and crying. The end was just beautiful and I loved how he gave you actual facts in the end to sum it up, and his author's message at the end was also really cool. This book is officially one of my absolute favorites and so far, I hope this one wins the Rebecca Caudill.
November 30, 2009
Bird Mcgill loves to fly. She is only eleven years old. Her father repairs airplanes. On her birthday her father lets her try to land the plane. She almost does it. Dad has to step in and help out. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Bird's father finds himself drafted. To make matters worse for Bird a new boy has joined her class. His name is Kenji. The two of them become friends and have joined forces to find a spy. The book was full of historical information. Most of the students I teach don't know how we treated Japanese Americans during this war. I am hoping that it may bring some understanding of past prejudices. This was an awesome book
August 26, 2009
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
February 21, 2012
RC 2013 This might be a good choice for next year's On the Same Page community-wide read. First of all, it takes place in Geneseo, Rhode Island, which would be good for our school in Geneseo, IL. It has a strong female protagonist who is not too girly for the boys. It touches on bullying, racism, Japanese internment camps, father away at war, spies, friendship, and there's an adventurous mystery to solve.
October 22, 2012
I really enjoyed this book because it has a lot of adventure and it did not get boring. It is about a girl named bird, who is a tomboy and loves to fly planes. She thinks a boy named Kenji is a spy but it turns out she actually does find spy activity when doing a paper for her school. There is an explosion of a plane, and many exciting things that happen that make this book interesting! I think kids would really enjoy this book.
May 1, 2010
A good historical fiction with some mystery and action. Female protagonist is unique in that she is obsessed with planes... touches on issues of civil rights, freedom and racism and prejudice, towards Japanese during WWII. Main character has a good voice and is a spunky, likeable character. Suitable for mid-upper elementary.
June 27, 2012
I didn't think I would like this novel set during WWII in Rhode Island, but I immediately connected with the main character. BIrd is a tomboy, quirky, spunky, and free spirit. The story had some interesting twists and turns, a bit of mystery, adventure, and suspense. I would definitely recommend this to my students.
October 9, 2012
My son picked this as his book for one of his 4th grade book reports. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed it, especially the heroine, 11 yr old Bird. It took place at the start of WWII, and highlight some important issues during that time period. My son thought liked that Bird flew airplanes, and how she described what it was like to fly.
December 23, 2016
'Born To Fly' by Michael Ferrari is an amazing book.....full of adventurous journeys and tragic and humorous moments.Tomboy;Bird McGill will never give up her dream of flying a P40 Fighter plane.She will always be curious where she roams and always will look up to her dad ;the man she admires most of all.
February 6, 2012
It might not be realistic from an army or war point of view, but it is a true adventure with a true hero - Bird McGill. Ending let's young readers use their imaginations and dig deep within themselves for meaning.
November 3, 2012
This was a good choice for our 4th grade girls book club. They all seemed to like the story, they had strong feelings about much of the plot and had very thoughtful responses to each others thoughts. It also fired them up to go and look further into the time period. A success.
September 9, 2012
Such a great strong female character although her tomboy attitude, should make it a hit with both boys and girls. There are a few 'bra' references that probably could have been left out. I did enjoy it from beginning to end, but especially the last 100 pages.
September 25, 2012
Adventure, mystery, humor and historical fiction all rolled into one fast-moving story. Bird is a memorable and likable character that kids will find themselves relating to. This is a book with appeal to both boys and girls--especially the reluctant readers.
January 11, 2013
At first I was rolling my eyes at this - typical Caudill nominee. But then it got GOOD. A nice mixture of action and suspense, but lots of lessons about predjudice. And I LOVE that not everything turned out perfectly, but it still wrapped up well.
Surprised to say I really liked it. :)
Surprised to say I really liked it. :)
May 21, 2012
a fun book for a child 8-10 would enjoy.it was nominated for a nutmeg award which is a ct award which is voted for by students teachers and librarians...
August 21, 2015
Born to Fly by Michael Ferrari
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary:
Eleven old Bird McGill loves to fly. Ever since she can remember she has been flying with her Dad. He even taught her to fly at a very young age. Suddenly, the life she had always known is changed forever. Her Dad is called to war. Her life is miserable until Kenji, a Japanese boy, comes to her school. After several misunderstandings, they become best friends.
One day after an encounter with and enemy from their school, Kenji and Bird stumble upon an enemy spy submarine. The submarine is clearly and enemy of the United States. Every night since this discovery, they have tried to photograph the submarine and bring it to the police. But each time they almost get caught and find a new discovery. No one will believe them, but they keep pushing on to the truth.
One night in particular, Kenji's uncle is falsely blamed for something he didn't do. Bird has to testify in court and has to make a life-changing decision. Should she tell the truth and risk her family's safety? In the end, she tells the truth knowing that her family might be punished because of her actions. Turns out the police superintendant has done some bad things that he shouldn't have and Bird stops him from doing anymore damage.
After many devastating events, one being the death of her beloved Dad, Bird and her family take Kenji in because he has now lost his parents. They become lifelong friends and Bird realizes that things can't always stay the same.
Answer to question:
The neighbors really helped one another comforted one another through hard times. There was much more of a community feeling than there is now. One quote from the book is when her Mom tells Bird to go and help their neighbor because they had just lost their son in the war.
Another quote is when Bird bumps into the policeman and he tells her that everything is going to be ok. He then shows her the way home and knows her family personally.
Favorite part of the book:
My favorite part of the book is when they discover all the interesting things like the corpse under the boat, the spy submarine and the ruins of a demolished factory. These elements kept me intrigued and I had my nose buried in the book anticipating what would happen next.
Time Period:
The time period that this books takes place in is during the beginning and middle of World War II.
One way people lived different in this time period was that is much more simple. They didn't have electronics and had fun just being together, doing simple things.
One page that best describes the time period is when they talk about the different colored stars in the windows of the houses.
I enjoyed this book and I think you will too!
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary:
Eleven old Bird McGill loves to fly. Ever since she can remember she has been flying with her Dad. He even taught her to fly at a very young age. Suddenly, the life she had always known is changed forever. Her Dad is called to war. Her life is miserable until Kenji, a Japanese boy, comes to her school. After several misunderstandings, they become best friends.
One day after an encounter with and enemy from their school, Kenji and Bird stumble upon an enemy spy submarine. The submarine is clearly and enemy of the United States. Every night since this discovery, they have tried to photograph the submarine and bring it to the police. But each time they almost get caught and find a new discovery. No one will believe them, but they keep pushing on to the truth.
One night in particular, Kenji's uncle is falsely blamed for something he didn't do. Bird has to testify in court and has to make a life-changing decision. Should she tell the truth and risk her family's safety? In the end, she tells the truth knowing that her family might be punished because of her actions. Turns out the police superintendant has done some bad things that he shouldn't have and Bird stops him from doing anymore damage.
After many devastating events, one being the death of her beloved Dad, Bird and her family take Kenji in because he has now lost his parents. They become lifelong friends and Bird realizes that things can't always stay the same.
Answer to question:
The neighbors really helped one another comforted one another through hard times. There was much more of a community feeling than there is now. One quote from the book is when her Mom tells Bird to go and help their neighbor because they had just lost their son in the war.
Another quote is when Bird bumps into the policeman and he tells her that everything is going to be ok. He then shows her the way home and knows her family personally.
Favorite part of the book:
My favorite part of the book is when they discover all the interesting things like the corpse under the boat, the spy submarine and the ruins of a demolished factory. These elements kept me intrigued and I had my nose buried in the book anticipating what would happen next.
Time Period:
The time period that this books takes place in is during the beginning and middle of World War II.
One way people lived different in this time period was that is much more simple. They didn't have electronics and had fun just being together, doing simple things.
One page that best describes the time period is when they talk about the different colored stars in the windows of the houses.
I enjoyed this book and I think you will too!
August 14, 2009
Gr 4-7-Bird McGill regards her dad as her best friend. He takes her up in the planes he repairs and lets her take the controls, and he encourages her dream of becoming a pilot. But a special bulletin disrupts her 11th-birthday afternoon: Japan has attacked the military base in Pearl Harbor, and Bird's world is turned upside down. During the next few months, the local airstrip is turned into a military flight school, and her dad is shipped overseas. When a Japanese-American boy joins Bird's class that spring, he is met with distrust. Although his uncle, with whom he is staying, is a longtime resident of Bird's Rhode Island town, they are both thought to be spies, or at least loyal to Japan. Circumstances compel Kenji and Bird to join forces one day to escape Farley, a class bully, and in the process they stumble on evidence of an enemy submarine in the area. When they attempt to report what they have seen, nobody believes them. Their problems are compounded when Farley's shiftless father is murdered and the local engine factory is sabotaged: Kenji's uncle is blamed. Only Bird can clear Uncle Tomo, but the murderer has threatened to kill her family if she speaks up. Well-developed characters make this story of friendship amid hostilities shine. While the coincidences surrounding the murderer can stretch credulity at times, this action-packed first novel is full of engaging twists and turns, and readers learn about the injustices done to many Japanese Americans during World War II. First-rate historical fiction.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
April 17, 2013
Bird dreams of being a fighter pilot. It is 1941, and Japan has just bombed Pearl Harbor. Her father is in the Air Force and encourages her dreams. She has gone flying with him lots of times. He is called up as the country goes to war. A Japanese boy, Kenji, starts school & at first Bird doesn’t like it, but they become friends when she helps him escape some bullies. They spot a sub in the bay, but no one believes them because Bird is known for making stuff up & Kenji is Japanese. A man is murdered & the killer threatens to kill Bird’s family if she doesn’t’ keep quiet. Kenji’s uncle is arrested & convicted. Bird is sure that if she can just talk to her father he can make it all right, but then days after the uncle is convicted, word comes that her father is dead. Bird goes to the deputy to tell him about the killer because she wants to do the right thing… turns out he is the killer & he ties her up & plans to kill the President. Bird steals a P-40 Warhawk plane from the Air Force with the help of her sister’s pilot boyfriend. She ends up playing a game of chicken with the deputy to get him to stop. She and Kenji are hailed as heroes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2012
2013 Rebecca Caudill nominee. 4th grade and up, mostly girls, larger print. Historical fiction, set during World War II in Rhode Island.
11-year old Bird is the middle child in her family and her goal in life is to become a fighter pilot. She can fly a plane, sort of, since her dad has been teaching her, and she absorbs the technical details of planes as fast as she can read them. And this makes her very odd in her small town where gender stereotypes are only too plainly accepted--in that world, girls wear dresses, not overalls, and they do girl things, things which don't include planes.
Enter Kenji, a new classmate from California but with a Japanese name and face and an immediate target for bullying. Kenji's parents are in a camp and Kenji has been sent to live with his uncle, a maker of fireworks for 4th of July celebrations. Add to this mix a German spy, an explosion at the airplane engine factory, and a nearby Army fighter training base and you have the makings of a very good story.
11-year old Bird is the middle child in her family and her goal in life is to become a fighter pilot. She can fly a plane, sort of, since her dad has been teaching her, and she absorbs the technical details of planes as fast as she can read them. And this makes her very odd in her small town where gender stereotypes are only too plainly accepted--in that world, girls wear dresses, not overalls, and they do girl things, things which don't include planes.
Enter Kenji, a new classmate from California but with a Japanese name and face and an immediate target for bullying. Kenji's parents are in a camp and Kenji has been sent to live with his uncle, a maker of fireworks for 4th of July celebrations. Add to this mix a German spy, an explosion at the airplane engine factory, and a nearby Army fighter training base and you have the makings of a very good story.
January 21, 2013
Amazing book! Set in the 1940s, Bird McGill's lifelong dream is to become a pilot. Only, there's one problem... she's a 10-year-old girl. But that's the least of her problems when her world is turned upside-down by four things.
1. Her dad, the only person who ever believed in her dream, has gone off to fight in the war. (When will he come back? Will he?)
2. There is a new kid in class named Kenji, and he's Japanese. (Being the 40's, during WWII, nobody trusts him.)
3. A man in black is threatening her. (Who is he, and what does he
4. There is a submarine in the lake.
Will Bird ever be able not only to live her dream, but to ? But when her unlikley friend's uncle is suspected of murder, will she help him get a fair trial? Will she reveal the information she has kept hidden for so long? or will she save herself, but betray her friends?
1. Her dad, the only person who ever believed in her dream, has gone off to fight in the war. (When will he come back? Will he?)
2. There is a new kid in class named Kenji, and he's Japanese. (Being the 40's, during WWII, nobody trusts him.)
3. A man in black is threatening her. (Who is he, and what does he
4. There is a submarine in the lake.
Will Bird ever be able not only to live her dream, but to ? But when her unlikley friend's uncle is suspected of murder, will she help him get a fair trial? Will she reveal the information she has kept hidden for so long? or will she save herself, but betray her friends?
February 23, 2011
Really, really enjoyed this book. I found the protagonists to be realistic and worthy. Bird is a girl many girls could relate to, and children enjoy cheering for somebody like Kenji - a good person who is treated badly for no good reason. To top it off, it is a bit of a mystery, along with action and adventure (and historical fiction). There are not many heroines in children's literature like Bird and that makes this book a great choice. But it does have an interest to boys too, as it deals with airplanes and spies and WWII. The ending might have been a little unrealistic, but it is forgivable to me. Great book!
Incidentally, this book was loved by all the mothers and daughters in my library's book club - a rare occurence!
Incidentally, this book was loved by all the mothers and daughters in my library's book club - a rare occurence!
May 24, 2012
This is my Condense Review:
I enjoyed seeing that a girl wanted to fly a plane. That her dad was teaching her. Her dad let her have her chance of landing a plane on her birthday. This book does have some action and Adventure. Those their a mystery unfolds once her father was drafted to sent off to fight in the war.
There information about WWII in this book and about the attack on Pearl Harbor. It does give some information on our history. It goes into issues about bullying, prejudiced, Learning to make friends, I see what kids and others did to other kids back then.
To see my Full Review go here to read it: My Full Review
I enjoyed seeing that a girl wanted to fly a plane. That her dad was teaching her. Her dad let her have her chance of landing a plane on her birthday. This book does have some action and Adventure. Those their a mystery unfolds once her father was drafted to sent off to fight in the war.
There information about WWII in this book and about the attack on Pearl Harbor. It does give some information on our history. It goes into issues about bullying, prejudiced, Learning to make friends, I see what kids and others did to other kids back then.
To see my Full Review go here to read it: My Full Review
July 23, 2012
This is a 2013 Caudill Nominee.
It is a historical fiction book set in WWII.
Birdie's father is away at war, and on the homefront the Japanese Americans are being sent to internment camps.
Birdie becaomes friends with Kenji, a Japanese American in Rhode Island.
They become friends, but a huge stumbling block comes across their path.
Kenji's gradfather is accused of destroying an American War station.
If true Kenji & grandfather will go into the internment camps.
Birdie is just hoping her Dad will come home soon, because she knows he will fix this problem.
Very good novel up until the end.
It is a historical fiction book set in WWII.
Birdie's father is away at war, and on the homefront the Japanese Americans are being sent to internment camps.
Birdie becaomes friends with Kenji, a Japanese American in Rhode Island.
They become friends, but a huge stumbling block comes across their path.
Kenji's gradfather is accused of destroying an American War station.
If true Kenji & grandfather will go into the internment camps.
Birdie is just hoping her Dad will come home soon, because she knows he will fix this problem.
Very good novel up until the end.
May 1, 2014
I love that this is an adventure story with a girl front and center. I also love the history woven in. (Don't skip the afterward.)
I didn't love that big sis was swimming in her underwear with her boyfriend - not in a book to be read by 8 year olds.
And (SPOILER) didn't feel as though the Dad's death was needed in plot and the characters seemed to get over it too quickly. I would have preferred a real reunion and not a dream ending.
BUT - this book is super fun and quick paced and my 10 year old son is really enjoying it (I read ahead but he's not done yet.)
I didn't love that big sis was swimming in her underwear with her boyfriend - not in a book to be read by 8 year olds.
And (SPOILER) didn't feel as though the Dad's death was needed in plot and the characters seemed to get over it too quickly. I would have preferred a real reunion and not a dream ending.
BUT - this book is super fun and quick paced and my 10 year old son is really enjoying it (I read ahead but he's not done yet.)
July 23, 2014
Could not put this book down! Great story, loved the protagonist, 11-year-old girl who won't be told that girls don't fly, loved the setting (WWII) and just the right amount of description, great plot elements -- adults don't believe kids, standing up to bullies, sticking up for yourself and your dreams -- experiences all kids have -- but also, murder, mystery, racism, you name it! I can't wait to share this book with my students! Then, to top it off, I find out that the author lives in my town!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews