• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

My great-grandmama’s mama told her and she told me this story about a long time ago . . .

So begins this account of the author’s great-great-grandmother Jane, and how she meets a slave new to the plantation, a slave who would prove to have magical powers . . . created by the wish for freedom. Alice McGill remembers this story, passed down in her family through the generations, from her childhood and how her greatgrandmother told it to her “as if unveiling a great, wonderful secret. My siblings and I believed that certain Africans shared this gift of taking to the air—‘way up and over everything.’”

Alice McGill's profile page

Jude Daly's profile page

Alice McGill is an award-winning author and professional storyteller. Among her books is the ALA Notable Molly Bannaky, winner of the 2000 IRA Picture Book Award and the 2000 Jane Addams Award. Alice McGill has toured to collect and tell stories in thirty-nine states, Canada, the West Indies, and South Africa. She lives with her husband in Columbia, Maryland. Jude Daly is an award-winning illustrator whose books include The Elephant's Pillow and The Tale of Paradise Lost. She was drawn to Alice's story and the magical notion of flying way up and over everything." "What a gift!" she writes. "Children do this with ease, but sadly, too many grownups forget how to fly.""

"Daly's delicate and elongated figures...present a bird's-eye view of the story." Booklist Feb 1, 2008 Booklist, ALA

"It's a tale that will have profound effect." Kirkus Reviews 05/15/08 Kirkus Reviews

"Kids will be fascinated by this classic." Starred Review Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"McGill’s dramatic pacing, vivid details, and pungent narrative voice give the story immediacy." Horn Book, Starred

"Inspiring and informative." School Library Journal, Starred