Books › Flying solo
Flying solo
144 pages
An inventive, hour-by-hour exploration of a sixth-grade classroom navigating sudden independence and the heavy, unspoken weight of grief.
What it feels like
Unfolding over the course of a single, unsupervised school day, this inventive middle-grade novel balances the initial thrill of childhood independence with the sudden, sharp reality of unresolved grief. The hour-by-hour structure gives the narrative a brisk, ticking-clock momentum, pulling the reader through the quiet anxieties and sudden conflicts of a sixth-grade classroom left entirely to its own devices. Beneath the ingenuity of students running their own schedule lies a deeply empathetic exploration of selective mutism and the lingering trauma of losing a peer. The prose captures the earnest, sometimes tense atmosphere of kids trying to hold things together, making it a poignant read for anyone who appreciates stories where young people must navigate complex emotional landscapes on their own terms.
- Mood
- poignant
- anxious
- reflective
- hopeful
- Tone
- earnest
- empathetic
- inventive
- tense
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- processing grief · collective responsibility · overcoming anxiety · the weight of silence · coming of age
- The writing
- Uniquely constructed and immediate, capturing the hour-by-hour tension and shifting dynamics of a single, transformative school day.
- The arc
- Moves from the rebellious thrill of sudden independence to a tense, emotional confrontation with unresolved grief, ultimately reaching toward healing.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate thoughtful, character-driven middle-grade fiction that balances the lighthearted mischief of school life with the heavy reality of childhood grief.
Content notes
- death of a classmate
- grief
- selective mutism
- anxiety
About the book
When the substitute for Mr. "Fab" Fabiano never shows up and his sixth-grade students are on their own, they set out to prove that they can run the class by themselves. With a little ingenuity and some careful planning, they might just succeed. But when a fight breaks out between Bastian Fauvell and Rachel White over a classmate, Tommy Feathers, who died six months earlier, everything begins to fall apart. Can Rachel deal with the anxieties that plunged her into silence the day Tommy died? Inventive and uniquely constructed, "Flying Solo" follows Mr. Fab's students hour by hour as they tackle the challenges of an unusual school day.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Flying solo
See why they match
Playlist for the DeadMichelle FalkoffA poignant, music-infused journey through the messy, confusing aftermath of losing a best friend.
Hold StillNina LaCourA tender, aching exploration of the quiet spaces left behind by loss, and the slow, messy art of learning to breathe again.
BreathlessLurlene McDanielA devastating, tear-soaked exploration of bodily autonomy and the impossible burdens we place on those we love.
Teacher's PetRichie Tankersley CusickA deliciously campy, dread-soaked descent into a competitive nightmare where ambition turns deadly.
Amy & Roger's epic detourMorgan MatsonA sun-drenched, playlist-fueled journey across the country that feels like rolling down the windows and finally taking a deep breath.
How to Make Friends with the DarkKathleen GlasgowA raw, unflinching exploration of the suffocating weight of sudden loss and the slow, painful process of letting the light back in.