Athan Wilde dreams of flight. When his friend, Mr Chen, is murdered, Athan must rescue the flying machine they were building together and stop it falling into the wrong hands. But keeping the machine safe puts his family in terrible danger. What will Athan choose – flight or family? The Boy Who Flew is a thrilling, murderous tale set among the steep rooftops and slippery characters of Athan’s intricately imagined world. Perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Peter Bunzl and Philip Reeve.
For readers 9+ Published on 7th march 2019 Buy from Waterstones.
There is an educational resource pack, available here
The Boy Who Flew has been selected by the Reading Agency for the Summer Reading challenge 2019
Here are some reviews :
“I LOVED this book!” author Catherine Johnson.
“An utterly brilliant story” author Gill Lewis.
“Fleur Hitchcock’s latest book soars … a spirited, suspenseful adventure yarn, and its breathless action scenes and multicultural characters present a very un-Austen-like vision of Bath.” James Lovegrove Financial Times
Hitchcock says that this story has been 10 years in the making, with more than 30 abandoned drafts, but you never sense this struggle in her writing. The book is aimed at readers of nine plus, even the more reluctant of whom will be swept along by the cliffhanger chapters and simple, suspenseful prose. It is a far cry from Pippi Longstocking. Emily Bearn The Telegraph
Athan’s story is tense, exciting and marked by both tragedy and triumph. His dogged determination to do justice to the memory of his mentor is matched only by his desire to save his family from poverty and the influence of his evil grandmother. With numerous twists and false trails, this is a compelling and imaginative historical thriller for middle grade readers. The Booktrust
Fast-paced and thrilling, this truly is a edge-of-your-seat adventure, full of twists and turns that will keep you holding your breath to the very last page. Booklover Jo
Quirky, chilling and atmospheric, ‘The Boy Who Flew’ is a brand new offering from Fleur Hitchcock, author of the popular Murder in Midwinter. This is a gem of a story – with its roller-coaster adventure plot that will have readers gripped from start to finish and wide-eyed with curiosity to the very last page…This is highly recommendable to KS2 readers who enjoy stories with plenty of intrigue, thrilling plot lines and cleverly imagined worlds. Ones to Watch 2019 by Books for Topics.
“Written with great gusto but also much subtlety, The Boy Who Flew is a thunderingly good period adventure -” The Bookbag
From Toppsta adult readers: “The Boy Who Flew is a hair raising, heart stopping thrill of a story… Fleur Hitchcock creates an intriguing world of crowded, poor and secretive streets and high, open rooftops on which Athan dreams of freedom. There are fantastically written characters within the story – the villainous Colonel Blade is a sly, menacing and dark figure who reminded me of the very best of the worst Dickens`villains. There are some stand out scenes as the adventure unfolds and the final few chapters build into an emotional, frantic and and nerve shredding conclusion. A fantastic adventure that I thoroughly recommend.”
From Toppsta. Child readers: “I would definitely recommend this thrilling, adventurous and mysterious book to children from ages 9-14. It is the sort of book where you say to yourself, “I will only read 1 chapter” and end up reading 5” “I really enjoyed this book trying to work out the mystery and who had murdered Mr Chen. Athan is a really hardworking clever boy who is trying to do the right thing to help his family even though lots of things go wrong along the way. I liked the way the book had lots of twists that kept you guessing to the end who was involved.”
More child readers: “With a host of quirky characters, from fiendish villains to unlikely heroes, this book has it all, including a plot of unexpected twists and turns that will enthrall readers.” on K & O bonkers about books.
From Samantha Thomas “This is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure story for 9 years+, and with Murder, Mystery, Friendship, Bravery, Heroism, Family, Trying to achieve your dreams and so much more, there is something to inspire us all.”
A cast of sparkling characters in a fast moving and dramatic plot that’s packed with nail-biting action: I’m confident The Boy Who Flew will fly off bookseller’s shelves. Madge Eekel Reviews
Available to order from Waterstones
From Foyles
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And from a good bookshop near you.
Fleur Hitchcock's View from my Velux 