A Book Review: 'The Year We Learned To Fly' by Jacqueline Woodson

You can go anywhere you want as long as you are willing to use your imagination. This is the theme of Jacqueline Woodson’s book, The Year We Learned To Fly.

Summary

A brother and sister duo are forced to remain indoors after a storm prevents them from going outside to play. At first, the children are heartbroken. How can they enjoy life without the ability to run freely outdoors? Then, the kids get an idea from their grandmother to use their imaginations to go wherever they please. 

“So my brother and I closed our eyes. And for a few minutes that first day, we weren’t stuck in our apartment anymore.” The brother and sister duo imagine their city filled with flowers. While indoors, they also tap into the power of fantasy to solve conflicts. “We didn’t have to be stuck anywhere anymore,” the sister says. 

Imagination comes in handy later in the story as the brother and sister move to a new town where the kids are mean. “‘It’s okay,’ I said to my brother. ‘Somebody somewhere at some point had to figure out they were ready for any new thing coming their way.” 

What We Liked

A Nod To The Ancestors 

Jacqueline Woodson’s book is a direct nod to those forced into slavery during the Atlantic Slave Trade era. Though they could not physically break free from bondage, the African slaves were able to imagine a better world for themselves. 

Woodson gained much of her inspiration to craft her story from The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton, Leo Dillon, and Diane Dillon. “The first time I read The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by the brilliant Virginia Hamilton, I realized that through her beautiful story, I was learning to fly. Not with wings, but with words,” Woodson says. 

“Virginia Hamilton gave me and so many other writers storytelling wings. And with these wings, I have been able to ‘fly’ past even the hardest of times into the world of my stories,” Woodson shares. “Sometimes the first step toward change is closing our eyes, taking a breath, and imagining a different way.”

Beautiful Story, Superb Visuals 

Both the storyline and visuals in Jacqueline Woodson’s book are excellent. The imagery is exciting as Woodson works with her illustrator, Rafael López, to ensure every aspect of what she describes is presented in picture form. 

Who’s It For?

The suggested age category for The Year We Learned To Fly is between the ages of three to eight years old. We believe kids between four and six years old will get the most out of this book.