Learning to Fly

Tri State Young Adult Book Review Committee

"This is a tale about the effects of prejudice and the redeeming power of friendship...A very good selection for reluctant readers in high school who need high interest books."

Library Media Connection

"Engage[s] the reader...This book will be useful in cultural diversity classes or for students who are having a hard time finding their place in school...Recommended."

Booklist

"Yee's slim novel packs in a lot."

CM Magazine

"While maintaining young readers' interest in the plot, Yee's novel will also help them to develop and gain confidence in their reading skills."

Tucson Unified School District

Highly recommended.
— Cynthia Cruz

TeensReadToo.com

"[Yee's] characters and their life struggles ring true and are likely to connect well with teen readers. Written in a fast-paced, easy-to-read style, this book should be successful with reluctant readers."

The Horn Book Guide

"Fast-paced, easy-to-read drama."

Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's Media

"There's a lot to think about in this small book. It might even be a book read to the end by kids who don't like to read."

Tucson Unified School District - Cynthia Cruz

"Highly recommended."

KLIATT - Sharon Blumberg

Jason, a recent Chinese immigrant who is 17, works at a mall on weekends. He helps his mother at the deli she owns. Jason's father left his mother for another woman, so she is raising her two sons on her own. Jason starts taking drugs, easing his feelings of alienation as a foreigner and a newcomer to his school. He encounters some cultural ignorance from his customers because he is Chinese. Jason tries to make sense out of his new existence as part of a group of troubled youths, which serves as a place for him to feel wanted. The network of friends Jason creates initially signals trouble, but then he confronts the consequences of his actions in this quick read for reluctant YA readers. Reviewer: Sharon Blumberg

Children's Literature - Meagan Albright

Paul Yee has a strong voice that demands to be heard, telling a typical tale of teens (loneliness, social status, drug use, family ties and responsibilities) with a unique voice that brings insight and interest to the world of young adults. After instantly being immersed in the life of Jie-xin (Jason) the reader feels a connection not just to the main character, but to his exhausted and proud mother, his fellow outcast, Chief, and the rest of Jason's world. The only problem with this book—a problem that is also one of its greatest strengths—is that it is too short! The door to his world is shut too quickly, leaving it to readers to decide what happens next. This book would make an excellent choice for book discussion groups—the cover alone, stark and simple, with two hands gripping a barb-wire-topped chain-link fence—provokes discussion and reflection. Learning to Fly would be an excellent addition to the young adult collection of public libraries and high school media centers. Reviewer: Meagan Albright

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10

An immigrant from China, Jason, 17, struggles with his father's betrayal of his mother when he left her for another woman and the underlying sentiments of racism in a small Canadian town. Smoking pot is his way of coping, and, because of this habit, he finds himself with a new group of friends. While he is happy that some people have accepted him, he also feels that he has fallen in with the wrong crowd. The exception is Chief, a First Nations boy who can identify with some of what Jason experiences as a minority. They both must make life-altering decisions when Jason gets charged with drug trafficking and tragedy befalls Chief's family. While the book should be a draw for reluctant readers, the brevity of the story leaves little room for character development or resolution. Those looking for titles covering similar issues with a broader emotional range may prefer Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese (Roaring Brook, 2006) or An Na's A Step from Heaven (Front St., 2001).-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

Seventeen-year-old Jason is having a hard time adjusting to life as a new Chinese immigrant in a small Ontario town. His parents have split, and he must work long hours in his mom's deli to help out. Lonely and disenfranchised, he's made no friends, save the potheads he gets stoned with, and is often the butt of school bullies' jokes. Then he meets Chief, a First Nations teen whose life is much harder than his own. When Jason is arrested for marijuana possession while making a buy from his dealer and Chief's sister dies from an overdose, the two loners lean on each other to make it through. Like other Orca Soundings titles, this novel discusses high-interest topics like drug use, racism and bullying at a comprehension level that is comfortable for reluctant readers. Yee, the author of several works for teen readers, employs a spare writing style that is well suited to this format. Interested readers may also enjoy his similarly themed short-story collection What Happened This Summer (2006). (Fiction. 12-14)