Fly Away by Patricia MacLachlan (review)

An anomaly in her musical family, Lucy can’t hold a pitch, despite her deepest longings, and thus refuses to sing out loud. Her baby brother Teddy, however, can barely talk but can sing any melody, a secret known only to Lucy, who shares a bedtime ritual with him each evening (“Teddy has music but no words. I have words but no music. We are a strange pair”). Lucy and Teddy, along with their sister Gracie and their parents, have traveled to North Dakota to help out at their aunt Frankie’s ranch. Flood season there opens with a vengeance right after they arrive, and Teddy goes missing; Lucy, unabashedly singing their shared song and listening for his response, is the one who manages to find him. There is nothing flashy or overt here; in fact, most of the relationship development is quietly inferred through shared secrets—Teddy and Lucy share music, Lucy and her father share poetry, Frankie and Lucy share the secret of other secrets. The plot trajectory is perfectly paced, investing readers in Teddy and his fate. The large, approachable font and copious spacing make this an excellent selection for early chapter book readers, particularly those drawn to strong characters and nuanced storytelling. Quiet and tender, this is a story that audiences will wish took longer to read.