Reviews

Flying Lessons & Other Stories by Ellen Oh

msaplusteacher's review against another edition

4.0

This was a fantastic short story collection for middle grade readers! Stories were unique & diverse and offered a wide range of characters & subject matter! I really hope that this collection is not the first of its kind! A few stories seemed to drag and throw off my pace - hence the 4 stars instead of 5! Can't wait to book talk this title with my fifth graders!

yapha's review against another edition

5.0

Fantastic book of short stories by some of the best writers for children & young adults! Readers will find a plethora of both windows and mirrors within this collection. A necessary addition for classrooms and libraries. Highly recommended for grades 5 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley

bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition

4.0

Really good YA short story collection with a lot of different themes, but notably adjusting to change.

I wish this collection had been longer!

abigailbat's review against another edition

5.0

...... I FINISHED A BOOK, IT'S A MIRACLE.
Ahem.

The first collection from Ellen Oh and the team at We Need Diverse Books is an unmitigated success. There's a stellar lineup of authors here, sharing a diverse range of stories. But I think my favorite of the collection was the winner of the WNDB short story contest, Kelly J. Baptist. I cannot WAIT to read more from her and I hope it'll be coming soon.

You need this for your library and classroom and home bookshelves. It's a great sampler of #OwnVoices authors, all of whom are worth checking out further.

l1brarygirl's review against another edition

4.0

Overall average rating for this collection: 3.7 stars

This was a great collection of short stories that are fulfilling the We Need Diverse Books in today's children literature. It gives us a good sampling of established, diverse authors, so hopefully young readers will search out these authors' main works if they liked the short story. I liked this collection on audio - it was performed by a full cast. Different narrators for each story and some of the authors even narrated their own pieces (I loved that!) Highly recommend for all middle school libraries and public libraries to add to their collection, whether it is the print version and hopefully this audio edition too!

Individual stories and ratings:
1. How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium by [a:Matt de la Pena|204966|Matt de la Pena|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1383138905p2/204966.jpg] - ★★★★☆

2. The Difficult Path by [a:Grace Lin|59390|Grace Lin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1252026944p2/59390.jpg] - ★★★★★

3. Sol Painting, Inc. by [a:Meg Medina|1373005|Meg Medina|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1501702888p2/1373005.jpg] (Read by the author!) - ★★★★☆

4. Secret Samantha by [a:Tim Federle|5446689|Tim Federle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1330661042p2/5446689.jpg] - ★★★★★

5. The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn by [a:Kelly J. Baptist|15403221|Kelly J. Baptist|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - ★★★☆☆

6. Choctaw Bigfoot, Midnight in the Mountains by [a:Tim Tingle|116578|Tim Tingle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1374334883p2/116578.jpg] (Read by the author!) - ★★☆☆☆

7. Main Street by [a:Jacqueline Woodson|74640|Jacqueline Woodson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1327352477p2/74640.jpg] - ★★★☆☆

8. Flying Lessons by [a:Soman Chainani|780120|Soman Chainani|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1483891427p2/780120.jpg] - ★★★★★

9. Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents by [a:Kwame Alexander|326609|Kwame Alexander|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1459810611p2/326609.jpg] (Read by the author!) - ★★★☆☆

10. Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push by [a:Walter Dean Myers|13291|Walter Dean Myers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1230178601p2/13291.jpg] - ★★★☆☆

theybedax's review against another edition

5.0

This was a wonderful compilation of short stories that will make your heart sing with happiness and hope...I seriously mean that. This book was full of inspirational tales that breached serious subjects and showcased some truly diverse characters. These are the stories we've all been craving. The stories we need for representation and understanding. They were all lovely and I highly recommend the audio-book since each story was read by a narrator that would be the best representation for the characters within.

I would also love to highlight the partnership the authors had with an amazing movement called We Need Diverse Books < #wndb > That movement has brought so many amazing and diverse stories to this world that I cannot thank them enough!

alexlcriddle's review against another edition

5.0

Though this collection was written for middle grade readers, young adults and adults could—and should—read and learn from these stories. The diverse characters and variety of genres were beautiful and enlightening. The assorted writing was excellent. The audiobook was lovely. Each story was told by a different narrator, including a couple of authors reading their own work. This was a quick listen and could easily be enjoyed in an afternoon. Stories by diverse authors and about diverse characters should be essential reading, and I am grateful stories and collections like these are becoming more readily available. I would highly recommend this anthology and hope to read other works by many of the featured authors soon.

aimzthereader's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

stenaros's review against another edition

3.0

Read for librarian book group
A collection of middle-grade short stories. There were a lot of good stories to choose from. My favorite was the children of the painter.

I'm enjoying this trend of short stories for YA/MG audiences.

jenndazzle's review against another edition

5.0

👏🏼 we 👏🏼 need 👏🏼 diverse 👏🏼 books 👏🏼