Yearling Flying Lessons and Other Stories

Purchased to bring increased diversity to my classroom. Fantastic collection of stories of interest to today’s teens.

I can't say enough good things about these stories! First of all, the writers are all excellent in their own right, and I've read a couple of their full novels before, so I was expecting good things, but not to this level! The first story is PERFECT for reluctant male readers who like basketball, or any reader who needs a good story about persistence in getting to your goal. I had to re-read several of them multiple times, only because they were THAT good. The diversity in this collection is there without being exclusive. Meaning anyone can enjoy the story, but those who have experienced what the character is going through (example, living in a hotel room/homelessness/racism, etc.) will find themselves in at least one of these stories. The stories are short enough for anyone to finish rather quickly, but still fully complete in their plot line. I have recommended this to several other teachers who have purchased it for their classrooms.

This was such a good anthology of stories and they were all diverse which makes them that much better. I have a love-hate relationship with anthologies in general because I feel like short stories sometimes try to do too much with the little bit of room they have and some of the stories fell prey to that. But I think this anthology is great and has some really fantastic short stories that everyone should read in it. I highly recommend it and am glad that I started my reading year off with this!Overall Rating: 3.75*"How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium" by Matt De La Peña: 3.5/5 stars.I loved the story itself and the lesson behind it, but I was not a fan of the writing style. I am not really a huge fan of second person stories so this didn't quite sit right with me. I also thought that some of the timeline was a bit wonky but a good start to this anthology!"The Difficult Path" by Grace Lin: 3.5/5I think this one could have been a full novel and I would have enjoyed it more. I feel like we just got a taste of what it could be, both in terms of story, characterization, and setting. I did enjoy reading it and I immediately connected to our MC, but then pirates (AND A FEMALE CAPTAIN) were introduced and I wanted 100 pages more, so there's that."Sol Painting, Inc." by Meg Medina: 4/5Like every other Meg Medina work I've read, this was a treat. I love how vividly she creates the setting then have the characters interact with it. This felt like the first chapter into an ah-mazing middle grade novel and I wish I could read more about Merci and her growing up, especially since I think there was more to discover with Roli as well."Secret Samantha" by Tim Federle: 3/5As much as I have loved everything else I've read by Tim Federle, I'm not sure this one struck quite the same resonating tone with me. I feel like this didn't have the same level of pull for me? I am not sure what exactly didn't quite work for me, but I feel like there were some missed opportunities here that could have been explored."The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn" by Kelly J. Baptist: 4/5I really liked this one. It was the first to make me tear up because it was just so beautiful. Sometimes kids have to be little adults and that is so scary but I think Baptist really shows the intricacies of how children know more than sometimes we believe them to and how we can make them still be children. Wonderful short story."Choctaw Bigfoot, Midnight in the Mountains" by Tim Tingle: 4/5I loved this. I was so enthralled by the story within the story and I loved the questions at the end because that's how kids are. I have decided to read the rest of Tim Tingle's work because it was so FUN to read and I feel like I actually learned something about storytelling and the different ways to do it. Quite enjoyable!"Main Street" by Jacqueline Woodson: 3.5/5This was really short but it packed a pretty big punch. The quote on page 124 really stood out to me: "I want to move through the world that quietly. That powerfully." And I feel like while it definitely satisfied the narrative arc, I would have liked more because I feel like the story is unfinished in some ways."Flying Lessons" by Soman Chainani: 4.5/5I really loved this one and I hope to one day be as cool as Nani. I think this is a really important story because not only does it address the idea that you can know you are attracted to someone of the same gender at a young age, but it also reminds you to live and not focus too much on the future because you miss the present."Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents" by Kwame Alexander: 3/5This story made me literally laugh out loud in my apartment so my neighbours are probably confused. It was written in verse which made it really unique and cool. I also really liked the characters. But I did not love the ending where Monk basically forces Angel to do something against her will? I wasn't okay with that even if it was "embellished"."Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push" by Walter Dean Myers: 4.5/5OH I JUST HAVE LIKE A STICK IN MY EYE OR SOMETHING. My gosh what a way to end this anthology. It broke and mended my heart all at the same time and gave me hope in this dark world.

The book created a stir in Litchfield County, Connecticut with parents if schoolchildren who objected to its content as reported in a local newspaper. As a retired educator, this piqued my curiosity and prompted me to order this book to see what all the hoopla was about. I read it and enjoyed every wonderfully written story. I found nothing objectionable about the stories with the theme focus of diversity and inclusiveness. To me, this book is an honest and tactful approach to celebrate the unique and common traits we all share as Americans regardless of cultural differences or sexual orientation. It’s reality! It’s a slice of contemporary America in the 21st century!

Great stories. Not quite the right age range for my class. Think they would be more suited to a mature year 6 class or high school children. I enjoyed reading them though and there are some excellent themes that could be discussed!