Fly Me Home

Product Information

Particularly the scenes in school where she felt out of place and scared were incredibly well written. Ho-Yen`s debut Boy in the Tower is one of my favourite books of all time, and Fly Me Home came very close to being just as good. There's a sprinkle of magic, of course, but at it's heart this is a wonderful immigrant story about a girl trying to find her home.

Her first novel, Boy in the Tower, published in July 2014 by Random House Children's Publishers, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Polly's books have been great for stretching the boundaries of what she's prepared to read without overwhelming her with the grittiness of life. Full of friendship, family and magic, this stunning novel by Polly Ho-Yen, author of Boy in the Tower (shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award) and Where Monsters Lie, is a must-read for 9-12 readers. Since the treating doctor in Africa had given an assurance that repatriation was in Carl's best interests, we didn’t think it was relevant that Carl hadn’t provided the insurer with a written report.

The Vocabu-Library resource from Vocabulary Ninja is a comprehensive vocabulary resource designed to unpick and explain the vocabulary found within classic and modern children’s literature. Polly uses a great range of vocabulary, sentence structures, swanky punctuation and has come up with some cracking metaphors/similes that I often have to read twice just to appreciate the creativity. Every single character in this book, good or bad or in between, is superbly written and I loved Leelu and her brother Tiber, who also faces some issues when arriving in England, especially. Working in publishing obviously helped me to understand the process and where publishers are coming from.

She’s still writing stories and though she doesn’t teach now, she still visit schools … only now they’re all over the country. The context and background of Polly's stories is usually pretty tough but they are so magical and gentle that even this sensitive soul can enjoy them.The book is a real mix of the magical realism element and real, contemporary issues, and also touches on immigration and the meaning of home.

Full of friendship, family and magic, this stunning novel by Polly Ho-Yen, author of Boy in the Tower (shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award) and Where Monsters Lie , is a must-read for 9-12 readers.

The plot twists and hidden themes/secrets are clear within the story, and I love the message of new beginnings and finding your place within your environment. But Leelu is not alone; someone is leaving her gifts outside her house – wonders which give her curious magical powers.