When Pigs Fly

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The taunts from which she shields her younger sister, who has Down's syndrome, are not the only adversity facing Buddy Richter during her eighth-grade year. After Mr. Richter loses his job, money gets so tight that the family is forced to leave their modern subdivision for the dilapidated farm they have inherited from an eccentric aunt. In the shabby, snake-infested house, Buddy thinks that nobody's life could be worse than her own. Then she learns the dark secrets of her two close friends: Jiniwin, who is on her way to becoming an alcoholic; and Dallas, a raggedy boy abandoned by his father. This contemporary problem novel treats family conflicts and social concerns with the same sensitivity of Wood's previous titles, The Man Who Loved Clowns and A Share of Freedom. Buddy's emotions and her thoughts about her sister and her friends are realistic and moving. All problems are not resolved by the end of this tender story, yet the protagonist's changed attitude suggests that she has adjusted to her own situation and is ready to help others, too. Ages 10-14. (Sept.)

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-There have been stories about sugar babies and flour babies, but the egg babies in When Pigs Fly may be the most apt metaphor of all. Teaching a class of eighth graders about responsibility by giving them hard-boiled eggs to take care of for two weeks is a good idea, but the eggs are not as fragile as the families that surround Buddy, this novel's insecure, loyal narrator. Her father is out of work and the family is forced to move to a crumbling old farm they've inherited just outside of town. Buddy's best friend is struggling to survive the devastation of a divorce where neither parent is much interested in her anymore. Her newest friend has no family or home at all and is desperately trying to keep his situation a secret. As Buddy deals with the loss of her own home, the despair of her friends, and the strain of life with a little sister with Down's syndrome, she continues to care for her egg. It's the younger girl who manages to cast light and humor over the lives of everyone she touches and who helps her sister to see her own worth. The many serious issues flow smoothly from the strength of Wood's solid characters toward a realistic resolution. No happy ending here, but sure enough, there are possibilities and life goes on.-Susan Oliver, Hillsborough County Science Library at MOSI, Tampa, FL