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On a Wing and a Tear

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks

A living legend roosting in the backyard. An unmissable game. A hair-raising mystery. A road trip full of adventure and danger. And all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation.

Melanie "Mel" Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations, but the friends have become like siblings since the Robertses moved in with the Halfmoons. And they soon welcome a distinguished guest: Great-grandfather Bat, whose wing is injured, has taken refuge in their old oak tree.

A rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game is coming up, with Bat as the star player. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon offers to drive Bat from Chicago down to the traditional playing field outside Macon, Georgia, and Mel and Ray are determined to help out.

Together, they all set off on a road trip—facing adventure, danger, and a hair-raising mystery—on the way to the historic game.

With loving care and boisterous humor, acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) tells a modern folklore story about friendship, embracing the unexpected, and all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Brian Young, and Elana K. Arnold!

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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Shaun Taylor-Corbett's upbeat narration perfectly suits this heartwarming adventure full of drama, Indigenous folklore, and interspecies friendships. When injured Great Grandfather Bat must get from Chicago to Georgia for a legendary animal ball game, he asks Grandpa Halfmoon for assistance. Grandpa agrees, and soon Great Grandfather Bat and adolescent Grey Squirrel are off on a road trip with Grandpa, grandson Ray, and young housemate Mel. Taylor-Corbett narrates with audible appreciation--quickening his pace for humor and drama, slowing for history and deep emotion. He also builds evocative vocal portraits of the cast, including careful Grandpa, antic Grey Squirrel, family members from several Indigenous nations, and the crazy podcasters our heroes must outwit in order to succeed in this captivating escapade. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • School Library Journal

      December 13, 2024

      Gr 4-6-Smith's (Muscogee) latest middle grade novel is Taylor-Corbett's (Blackfeet) third affecting narration of her titles, especially fitting after aurally introducing Ray and Grampa Halfmoon in Indian Shoes. Connections, as Smith writes in her author's note, are the core of her stories. Ray (Cherokee and Seminole) and Mel (Muscogee, Odawa, French American) aren't related by blood, but they're practically siblings living together in Grampa Halfmoon's home. Ray's been worried about Grampa's "blah"-ness, preoccupied by "bad stuff in the world." Mel's idea to "put more goodness in the world" leads to a Chicago-to-Georgia spring break road trip for personal discoveries and healing reunions. Serendipitously, the humans get the honor of ferrying Great-Grandfather Bat, recovering from injury, and Gray Squirrel, to the Great Ball Game for a legendary Birds vs. Animals rematch. VERDICT Taylor-Corbett warmly invites readers to join a transformative multigenerational, multispecies journey through struggles and adventures, past and present.-Terry Hong

      Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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