Skye Above. (Orca Echoes). Eric Walters. Illustrated by Dave Parkins. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2014. 50 pp., pbk., pdf & epub, $6.95 (pbk.). ISBN 978-1-4598-0701-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4598-0702-0 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-4598-0703-7 (epub). Grades 2-4 / Ages 7 9. Review by Kate Hachborn. *** /4 Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy.

excerpt:

“So, did you tell her yet?”

“Tell me what?” Skye asked.

“We have a surprise for you,” her father sad.

“Actually, we have more than one surprise for you,” her mother added. “Do you remember what you wished for when you blew out your birthday candles?”

Skye had turned nine the week before.

“Of course I remember,” Skye sad. “I wanted to fly and fly and fly.”

“Well, over the next three days we’re going to try to make your wishes come true,” her father said.

“But how?”

“If we told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise,” her mother said.

“You’ll just have to wait, at least until tomorrow, for the first surprise,” her father said.

Skye has always dreamed of being a bird, specifically of experiencing the freedom of flying like a bird in the sky. Both of Skye’s parents are pilots, and she has been in many airplanes before, but Skye does not count this as true flying experience. For her ninth birthday, Mom and Dad take Skye to Costa Rica where she can try different outdoor activities that come as close to flying as they can get.

     Part of the “Orca Echoes” series, Skye Above follows the conventions of other series titles, offering an age-appropriate plot and realistic characters while appealing to a wide audience of readers gaining confidence in independent reading. This particular story also includes aspects of character development. Skye’s parents are both airline pilots, touching on gender equality. Skye hopes that when she grows up she’ll have a different profession than her parents, reenforcing the idea of individuality. At times, Skye seems wise beyond her years; connecting the idea of swimming to her dream of flying, thanking her parents for a great trip without prompting and gifting her wishes to her parents as part of her thank you. Skye’s love and experience of animals throughout the book will appeal to readers who enjoy an animal story, as well as readers who enjoy adventure.

Recommended.

Kate Hachborn is a library technician at the W. Ross Macdonald School in Brantford, ON.

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