Girls Don't Fly

Gr 7 Up—Seventeen-year-old Myra Morgan's home life is chaotic with her needy, working parents, college dropout pregnant sister, and four active younger brothers. But her personal life is as solid as an oak tree—until her spoiled boyfriend breaks up with her so he can date "Tight Shirt." During a guest speaker's presentation in her AP Biology class regarding an eight-week scholarship opportunity to study abroad in the Galapagos Islands, Myra, a confirmed "doormat" and "compulsive pleaser," begins to contemplate spreading her wings. With the help and encouragement of her sister and Pete, a grad student and future boyfriend, Myra sees a future filled with change and growth. In the process of winning the scholarship, she ruffles some feathers in her own family's nest, but she learns to fly. Each chapter in Kristen Chandler's heart-warming novel (Viking, 2011) begins with a bird-related term that parallels Myra's experiences. Narrator Becca Battoe shifts subtly between supporting characters, but is a dead ringer for Myra. This tender and sometimes humorous birds-eye view into the complicated and often confusing teenage years is a must-have.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH