Fledgling (Paperback)

Book review by Maddie

I read the book The Fledgling, by Jane Langton. She illustrated and wrote it. The genre is fantasy, which I have much sympathy for. For it may be easy to just make up any old thing out of your head and write it down, but I have learned from writing fantasy books, (because they are my favorite genre) that having a limit of magical powers is important. Because if you say at the beginning of your brilliant story, "There was a guy named Henry. Henry was unpopular. The special thing about Henry was he could fly." Then later in your story you have Henry get stuck in an icky, dirty, dungeon and he can't reach the open window, then you have to change that. Because I bet the readers know or still remember that Henry can easily fly out the window.
This story is about a young girl named Georgie. Georgie thinks she knows how to fly. After finding out she can jump down twelve steps in two graceful bounds she's sure she can fly.
Then one night a Canadian goose appears outside her window. It seems like the bird is telling her, "Come, climb onto my back and I'll teach you how to really fly." It seemed to Georgie that the only thing to do was to climb on his white and black, fluffy and soft, back and have a fascinating adventure flying over the whole town.
She meets the goose every night. She seemed to trust his shiny, black eyes. Soon she's flying all by herself. But there's one problem, this terrible Ralph Preek will do anything to stop her goose from coming. Hunting season is coming up, Ralph Preek gets all hands on his gun... To see what happens next, you'll have to read this amazing, fantastic book!!!
The story takes place in a little town near Walden Pond. The geese are stopping at Walden Pond because that's part of their migration. Georgie lives at No.4o Walden Street.
Georgie is a very creative little girl that is not one of those fancy girls that walks around in a perfectly sewed velvet dress that doesn't have a speck of dirt on it. She's more casual type. She has a little "bush house" that she plays tea party in. The rocks are cups, the leaves make good seats, and the one big rock in the middle is the table.
Eleanor is a happy, determined young girl who never gives up. She cheers Georgie up, and even tries to get Georgie a friend. Eleanor still has her bad times too. She once made a beautiful yellow dress with orange spots on it. She was positive everyone at school would like her new dress!!! When she came home from school, she ripped her dress up and screamed, "A giraffe! I look like a giraffe! Robert Toby called me a giraffe!" (On page 115).
Eddy is a very supportive brother. He always seems to know what to say at the right time. When Georgie put to much frosting on the cake, Eddy says, "You can't have to much frosting on a cake!" (On page 115). Eddy always has a new way to look at things. One time Georgie jumps down the stairs, but she falls. Eddy then explains to her that nobody can fly, but you can leap. Then he shows her how to leap down the stairs.
This book is a very nicely written book. It really has a way to get to you. Like when it says, "and hunting season was over." You get a sigh of relief, because you know, "Yes! Now Ralph Preek can't kill the goose!" but then Ralph sets his watch five minutes slow so hunting season is still going! You become overwhelmed with things to say like, "That's not fair!" or, "That's against the law!" you get extremely intense. I think that shows a good book, because that must be hard to do.
Eleanor reminds me of my sister. Always standing up for me, and never scared to try something new. She can get mad, but she's mostly nice, just like Eleanor.
Georgie reminds me of Stanley, in the beginning of the book Holes. Stanley is unpopular and he doesn't have any friends. Georgie is really unpopular also, and she wouldn't even think of having friends.
Its funny, when I read the sentence "Hard work was something Miss Prawn knew how to do", on page 36, the first think I thought of was my mom and dad. They work their heads off taking impeccable care of me and three other children.
I don't think that you will ever find a book like this one, so if you want a good book to read, pick this one. Don't worry, it has an interesting ending, which is like no other book I've read, so I don't think I can relate to any other book. You'll have to read this supreme book that is definitely worth reading.

When a flock of migrating Canadian geese takes up temporary residence at Walden Pond, she feels an unexplained but special affinity with an old, single gander.
The proud loner spots her red hair and tries to make friendly contact with one of humankind's most receptive ambassadors. In her own childish mind she names him the Goose Prince.

But other eyes and spying and prying into their private dream world: the snooty new neighbor, Miss Madeline Prawan, who plants plastic roses in her garden! Her boss at the bank, Mr. Ralph Preek, is even worse; he wages an unreasonable but deadly vendetta against the old goose, who is not only harmless, but seems to want to bestow a special gift upon this unqiue child.

Can the GPS foil the cruel intentions of enemies of the Goose Prince? Will this little girl really be able to fly, or is it just a a hallucination: if she has lost touch with reality, how about the adults who savor the hunting season? Can profit be made if she turns out to be some kind of levitating saint? And just what is the unique present which the old goose finds, to later share with his flying companion? A curious fantasy for young readers, who will actually learn something about Henry David Thoreau, who immortalized Concord's Walden Pond.