The Year We Learned to Fly

This is another book shining a bright light on the importance of grandmothers! Jacqueline Woodson is one of my favorite authors. I've also enjoyed other illustrated books written by her.

This is a story of a sister and brother who feel tramped in their city apartment. This leads to bickering and

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arguments. Remembering their grandmother's words, they went outside and experienced flowers, other children looking out from their windows, birds, butterflies and sadly, children who did not seem to want to interact with them.

The words of their beloved grandmother unlock the emotions of all and now, Their grandmother learned to fly from those who came before who were on huge ships with their ankles and wrists bond. Their grandmother reminded them that they are not bound like others were, and that nobody can ever cuff their beautiful and brilliant minds.

Here were her words:

"Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing.
Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored as you are now."

"Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath and stop being so mean about everything
Somebody somewhere at some point
was just as made as you are now."

Remembering their grandmother's words:

"So our people learned to fly, she said.
They dreamed a thing and made it happen.
Closed their eyes and flew away home."

Moving out of their apartment, to a new place with different kids who didn't seem to want to interact with them,
They remembered to life their arms, close they eyes and lo and behold they learned to fly. And then, others who had ignored them learned to fly with them.

Woodson has never written a book I haven't liked. Once again, she wove magic with her words of inspiration.

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