Airman
Ages: 9-14
- Courage
- Resilience
- Consumerism
- Family Ties
Values
Struggles
Why Should My Child Read This Book?
This well-researched gripping thriller keeps the reader engaged as the protagonist loses everything: his teacher, his king, his family, and finally his freedom. The protagonist suffers for years in a brutal prison, patiently and persistently working to improve his condition and finally escape. The reader will cheer him on as he grows in courage and resilience, providing a powerful role model for young adults in the lesson of grit and perseverance through the challenges of life.
What’s This Book About?
In the 1890s Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. Conor spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king’s daughter, Princess Isabella. But the boy’s idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a deadly conspiracy against the king. When Conor tries to intervene, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life, as he and the other prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions. There is only one way to escape Little Saltee, and that is to fly. So Conor passes the solitary months by scratching drawings of flying machines on the prison walls. The months turn into years; but eventually the day comes when Conor must find the courage to trust his revolutionary designs and take to the air.
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Anything I need to be aware of?
VIEW FLAGSGenres: Adventure, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion Books
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.




