Fly Away Home

Author/Authors: Eve Bunting

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: FAMILY FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

Year of Publication: 1993

Publisher & Location: Sandpiper

ISBN #: 0395664152

Target Age Level: Upper elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: Full color watercolor illustrations. There is a lot of gray and blue to help denote a touch of sadness.

Brief Summary:This story is about a boy and his father who are homeless. They are living in an airport which is better than living in the street. It is told from the boy’s perspective. He talks about the things they have to do to go unnoticed so that they can keep living there. His father tries to go out and get a job and find a place for them to live but he returns unsuccessful. One day the boy finds a bird that he watches. One day the doors open and the bird files out which becomes a sign of hope for the boy that one day he will get to fly out as well. This is a serious story which does not have a resolution to the boy’s problem but does have hope. This book would be better for upper elementary as they learn about homelessness.

Post reading activity:

Talk about what it would be like to be homeless. What would the students do if they found themselves without a home? What would they be able to take? Lead a discussion about the fact that homelessness is not just the stereotypical “hobo” but can include children as well. Discuss some of the frustrations that a child in a homeless family may have. Discuss that a child that is homeless will still want friends and people who care about him or her. This may be a great activity if you know that you are going to have a child who is homeless come into a class.