Fly Away
Lucy and her family make their annual trip to visit Aunt Frankie in North Dakota just as floodwaters rise, threatening her home. Meanwhile, Lucy shares a secret with her little brother, Teddy: though the rest of the family thinks that he can’t talk yet, she knows that he can. He climbs into bed every evening and sings to her. While they’re at Aunt Frankie’s house, Teddy coaxes Lucy, the one person in their musical family who “can’t sing,” to sing to him. When Teddy goes missing near the swollen river, her voice is the only sound that might save him. Author of the Newbery Medal–winning Sarah Plain and Tall (1985), MacLachlan writes with simplicity and clarity, weaving adults and children into a close-knit circle of caring. While Lucy’s warm, supportive family will be comforting to some readers, others may find the idealized characters off-putting at times. The appealing jacket art, large type, and wide-spaced lines of text make this volume an inviting choice for readers who are beginning to read longer chapter books. Grades 2-4. --Carolyn Phelan