Fly Away Home

APA Bibliography: Bunting, E. (1993). Fly Away Home. New York, NY: HMH Books for Young Readers. 

Readability Lexile: 450L

Book Information: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fly-away-home-eve-bunting/1100459650#/

Online Read-aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVISBMSIxZw

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Picture Book Fiction, Homelessness & Poverty

Author Information: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/eve-bunting/

Illustrator Information: https://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/himler.html

Summary: This book is about a father and son who live in an airport because they don't have a home. They change the terminals every day, so security and the other workers do not get suspicious. One day Andrew saw a bird that was trapped inside the airport. The bird got tired of trying to get out, so Andrew motivated it by saying, "Fly away home bird, fly away home." When Andrew's dad goes to work on weekends, Andrew stays with Denny and his family. Denny and Andrew help people for fifty cents. Andrew and his father have difficulty finding a home, which makes Andrew frustrated. When he gets like that, he thinks about the bird that was locked inside. One day Andrew and his dad will be free from the airport too, just like the bird. 

Target Audience: The targeted audience is children ages 6-8. I think that children who are in poverty will like this book because they will be able to relate to Andrew and his dad. 

Evaluation: This is truly a great book. Before this assignment, I had never even heard of this book, but after reading it, I really liked it. I think this book is completely relatable to families who live in poverty and are homeless. They have to make due with what they have. Just as the bird gives Andrew hope in the book, I hope that this book will give hope to children who get frustrated with their living situations. 

Reader Response Activity: There are two activities I wanted to share with you. The first one is very simple. Give your children 5 minutes to imagine what it would be like to live in an airport. Sit in a circle and go around asking what they would be living like. The other activity is something for both parents and children to do together. Give your students a worksheet that has questions about nearby food pantries or welfare offices. Tell the children, with the help of their parents or any responsible adult, to research and fill out the paper.