Taking Flight

by Sheena Wilkinson

Overview

‘Beyond the fence everything is dark, but in here is our own lit-up world. Just me and Flight. Our breath snakes into the night like the aftermath of a firework.’ The only riding fifteen-year-old Declan has ever done is joyriding. When he’s forced to stay with his snobby cousin ‘Princess’ Vicky on the other side of Belfast, he’s shocked to find himself falling in love with horses. Vicky would do anything to keep Declan out of her already perfect life and away from her precious showjumper, Flight, no matter who gets hurt… Moving from a harsh Belfast housing estate to the glamour of the showjumping ring, Taking Flight is a fast-paced story full of conflict, jealousy and courage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781908195647
Publisher:	Little Island Books
Publication date:	09/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	659 KB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sheena Wilkinson is one of Ireland’s most acclaimed writers of fiction for young people. Star by Star (Little Island, 2017) was selected as a BookTrust Future Classic in 2018 and won the Honour Award for Fiction at the Children's Books Ireland awards 2018. Grounded (Little Island, 2012) won the Book of the Year and Children's Choice awards at the Children's Books Ireland awards 2013. A recipient of special bursaries from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for the development of her writing, Sheena is now a full time author and writing teacher. Her books have also won awards from the Reading Association of Ireland and have been placed on the IBBY Honour List.

Sheena lives in County Down in Northern Ireland, where she spends her time writing, singing, and walking in the forest thinking up more stories.

Editorial Reviews

"Although horse stories are most often targeted to a female audience, this one has strong appeal for boys, including reluctant readers. Declan is a guy's guy: stoic, plain in his tastes, and monosyllabic in conversation. But through his first—person narration, it becomes evident that there is a perceptive, caring, and vulnerable young man buried deep within that hard exterior."
— VOYA Magazine

"American readers will easily understand the meaning of the Irish slang within the context of the story and dialogue. Both narrators experience a bit of a romance, appropriate for even young teens. […] Recommended for general purchase, this title should appeal to fans of horse stories."
—School Library Journal

"Taking Flight is a complex novel with a large cast of characters, each exquisitely well-developed, including the adults. . . Declan is an especially fascinating character who struggles to care for his alcoholic mother while trying to attend school and pretending to the outside world that everything is okay. . . A fast-paced story sure to appeal to teen readers."
Highly Recommended."
— CM Magazine

From the Publisher

07/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—Two cousins, Declan and Vicky, who are from opposite socioeconomic sides of town, narrate this story that centers on horses and show-jumping in present-day Ireland. Declan's mother is put into rehab, and he is forced to live with his aunt and prissy cousin Vicky, who owns a show horse named Flight. As part of a work experience program, Declan volunteers at the stables, and though he has never had much contact with animals, he is changed by his proximity to the horses, especially Flight. As tragedy occurs and both cousins are to blame, Declan withdraws back into the tough street youth he once was. Both voices are believable as teens and are well drawn and layered. Vicky is spoiled and a little bratty, but depictions of her divorced parents and upper-class lifestyle provide an explanation for her behavior. Declan rebels in classic "fight and flight" ways, but he narrates his reasons and his feelings in a way that will feel relatable. American readers will easily understand the meaning of the Irish slang within the context of the story and dialogue. Both narrators experience a bit of a romance, appropriate for even young teens. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase, this title should appeal to fans of horse stories.—Heather Massa, East Rockaway Public Library, NY

School Library Journal