On a Wing and a Tear

Ray Halfmoon and Mel Roberts have become as close as siblings since Mel and her mom moved into the attic of Ray’s Grampa’s Chicago bungalow. Although Mel and Ray are from different native tribes, they have much in common. They find they have a visitor: Great-Grandfather Bat. He injured his wing and has been resting to heal, but he’s found out the birds and animals are having an epic baseball game. He has to get there as he was the hero the last time they met. Grampa Halfmoon is convinced to take Bat and the kids on a road trip to the game. But soon some nefarious characters are following them, trying to kidnap Great-grandfather Bat.

Cynthia Leitich Smith, a citizen of the Muskogee Nation, imbues her story with traditions and language from several Native Nations. Kids will love how the animal characters interact with the human characters and how their stories are intertwined. Magic and a little fantasy are sprinkled throughout this contemporary story, and young readers will find that fascinating. All the characters are well-rounded and believable and the dialog is realistic for each character. This would make a good classroom read-aloud.