The Girl Who Wanted to Fly

Placed by The International Board on Books for Young People as an outstanding novel for 2011, The Girl Who Wanted to Fly is being exhibited worldwide by IBBY at international book fairs. This absorbing narrative examines the problems encountered by a disabled teenager, Mo Tamworth, but the voyage of self-discovery charted in the story is not limited to the experience of disability. The situations are familiar to all young people negotiating the often confusing transition between childhood and early adulthood. Just as with other young teens, Mo must learn to respect others in order to respect herself. Although the narration is from the point of view of a teenage girl, it offers compelling insights which adults will also find entertaining and instructive.