You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
When a friend commissioned me to make a pair of earrings to match this book cover for the author, I knew I would have to order a copy to keep. We'd watched The Eagle Huntress documentary as a family and had been fascinated. A return to that world in fiction (especially one I knew to be well researched) was too good to pass up. So I bought a copy for our bedtime story shelf, and my thirteen-year-old picked it up immediately.
This book was instantly captivating to both of my kids. In fact, my nine-year-old frequently tried to bargain to skip his own story to get extra chapters of this book instead. Aisulu's life is so completely different from their lives, but her feelings are so relatable, and even though you suspect from the beginning that she will triumph in the end, enough tension remains to make nearly every chapter a cliffhanger.
An incredibly well told tale, and an unforgettable look into a different way of life. Would love to replace [b:Island of the Blue Dolphins|41044096|Island of the Blue Dolphins|Scott O'Dell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533405446l/41044096._SX50_.jpg|3215136] with this in school libraries across the country.
This book was instantly captivating to both of my kids. In fact, my nine-year-old frequently tried to bargain to skip his own story to get extra chapters of this book instead. Aisulu's life is so completely different from their lives, but her feelings are so relatable, and even though you suspect from the beginning that she will triumph in the end, enough tension remains to make nearly every chapter a cliffhanger.
An incredibly well told tale, and an unforgettable look into a different way of life. Would love to replace [b:Island of the Blue Dolphins|41044096|Island of the Blue Dolphins|Scott O'Dell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533405446l/41044096._SX50_.jpg|3215136] with this in school libraries across the country.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
I loved that “Stand on the Sky” was set in a Kazakhs community in Mongolia. This setting is awesome! First, it is not a common setting for books and brings in a whole new world for readers to explore. Aisulu is the protagonist and spends the book battling gender norms of Kazakhs culture and learning to fly an eagle, Toktar. The characters are wonderful, the descriptions are gorgeous, and the plot is well done. Bow went to Mongolia to learn about Kazakhs culture, so the details of this story are well-sourced. It is a great story with a wonderful setting.
“Stand on the Sky” is Erin Bow’s middle grade debut. I think that the novel does an excellent job of appealing to the target age group. The protagonist, Aisulu, is a preteen and has an older brother. Aisulu is at the age where she is finding herself and her place in her world. The people around her are all family and each play a role in Aisulu’s life. That role depends on the person and how they view her decision to go against the norm.
I am not sure how I feel about the plot. I was talking to someone about the book and they said it sounds a lot like the 2016 documentary “The Eagle Huntress”. I do not know if Bow had any inspiration from that documentary. Bow writes that she has been working on this book for ten years, so I have a hunch that her story came first. Nowhere in the book does she mention the documentary.
Overall, it is a good book. It is a beautiful story told in a wonderful setting. I did struggle getting through the books at points where I lost interest. If it would have been able to keep my interest the whole time, it would have gotten five stars. To be fair, the lack of interest is probably more due to personal stuff happening at the time than the book.
“Stand on the Sky” is Erin Bow’s middle grade debut. I think that the novel does an excellent job of appealing to the target age group. The protagonist, Aisulu, is a preteen and has an older brother. Aisulu is at the age where she is finding herself and her place in her world. The people around her are all family and each play a role in Aisulu’s life. That role depends on the person and how they view her decision to go against the norm.
I am not sure how I feel about the plot. I was talking to someone about the book and they said it sounds a lot like the 2016 documentary “The Eagle Huntress”. I do not know if Bow had any inspiration from that documentary. Bow writes that she has been working on this book for ten years, so I have a hunch that her story came first. Nowhere in the book does she mention the documentary.
Overall, it is a good book. It is a beautiful story told in a wonderful setting. I did struggle getting through the books at points where I lost interest. If it would have been able to keep my interest the whole time, it would have gotten five stars. To be fair, the lack of interest is probably more due to personal stuff happening at the time than the book.
This was such an interesting story. I really liked the premise of it, and how strong the protagonist was. I also really enjoyed the bond that she had with the golden eagle that she rescued. It’s a story I am going to highly recommend to a lot of my students. It’s a total must read.
I promise the writing is as beautiful as the cover. Unfortunately, beautiful writing doesn’t always make for a great book. I found that the plot was slow and predictable. But the clever use of metaphors and the happy ending almost made up for it.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Elementary school me would have been obsessed with this book. Adult me is pretty obsessed with it, too!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
This book is awesome. I found it while searching for stories of girls and women and physical strength and it does not disappoint at all. It’s well written with some memorable turns of phrase. It’s a beautifully set in modern Kazakh society, where gers and migratory herding coexist with solar panels and cell phones. I liked that Aisulus own strength was complimented by the strong support of older women in her family and community.
