A gripping thriller from a Carnegie Medal-winning author.
ROBERT SWINDELLS left school at fifteen to work on a local newspaper. At seventeen, he joined the RAF for three years, then trained and worked as a teacher. Now a full-time writer, he is the author of a number of bestselling titles for the Random House children's list. In 1994 he won the Carnegie Medal for STONE COLD (Hamish Hamilton), a teenage novel about a serial killer. 'Plots which grip the reader from the opening paragraph' THE SUNDAY TIMES 'Robert Swindells writes the kinds of books that are so scary you're afraid to turn the page' YOUNG TELEGRAPH
Gr 5-7-Ever since Jenna was five, she'd been fascinated with planes, kites, pigeons, and the nature of flight. At 13, she's determined to fulfill her destiny of becoming an airline pilot, despite her family's discouragement and insistence that only boys and men became pilots. Her strong will drives her ambition and she perseveres by writing a letter to flight school, and teaching herself basic lessons using a computer program called Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 (latest version is 2004). Help arrives in the form of Granddad's monetary gift for flight school and a seemingly "magic stone" carved with a figure of an airplane. She later discovers that this was an homage paid by her Granddad to Amy Johnson-his heroine who was an actual British pilot of the 1930s. When Jenna's brother Ned and his psychotic friend, Gavin, are suspected of stealing Granddad's gun, Jenna's plans are put on hold. In a gripping climax where suspense meets the supernatural, Jenna is forced to use her "flight or fight" instincts to save her brother and her own life. British narrator Kim Hicks breathes life into Robert Swindells' novel with her masterful storytelling ability, providing a wide range of voices for the diverse characters. Although her British accent is heavy, listeners will have no trouble understanding her. Numerous flight references, instructional, and descriptions of basic maneuvers will intrigue young listeners. Those considering an aviation career will be inspired to reach for the skies after following Jenna's journey of overcoming tremendous obstacles to fulfill her dreams of flight.-Ann Crewdson, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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