The Summer I Learned to Fly

The summer before eighth grade, Drew plans on spending most of her time with her pet rat Hum in her mom’s cheese shop (her mom doesn’t know Hum’s there, obviously). Always kind of a loner, Drew is surprised when she meets Emmett in the alley behind the shop and the two form a close bond. Emmett’s mysterious background intrigues Drew, and as the two grow closer, Drew experiences her first real friendship and first adventure.

Dana Reinhardt’s The Summer I Learned to Fly is one of those quiet little books that sneaks up on you. It features characters and events that are not necessarily drastic or world-changing, but stick with you long after you’ve finished it. The book is poignant, moving, and engaging. This is one of my favorite reads of the year.

Drew narrates the story, but she tells it from the perspective of her 18-year-old self reflecting on her past. Reinhardt creates a lucid voice for Drew, one that is thoughtful but never showy. It is clear that Drew is lonely, and that she’s not even able to completely articulate that loneliness. What is brilliant about the narration is that Drew always seems a step removed from the action, creating a lovely balance between immediacy of the events and the powerful reflection of hindsight. It is not something that would work for every author (nor every character), but it is very successful here.

The characters are well-developed here, though Reinhardt pays the most attention to Drew and Emmett. While Emmett’s past is certainly sad, there’s nothing inherently shocking in his tale. It is his deep-set belief in the possibility of a miracle that drives much of the book’s second half, and it is a credit to Reinhardt that she manages to make this yearning (on the part of both Drew and Emmett) so accessible and authentic. Drew’s struggles with her mother also feel realistic, as she begins to struggle for independence. This is the best kind of coming-of-age story.

A sad story that ends on a slightly hopeful note, the book’s strong imagery will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the story. Highly, highly recommended. Go read this right now.

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt. Wendy Lamb Books: 2011. Library copy.

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Drew decides after finding her father's journal that is time for her to take a risk and try to find out about who she is. ( )

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt was a story that started out a little slow but in the end it ended up been a great read and I would recommend it to any female high school student. However it is does have a young romance theme to it so I do not believe and guys would enjoy this book.
Drew (formally called Robin Drew and Birdie sometimes) is 13 years old and is a little bit of a loner. She has a couple friends but they don’t really have much in common. Drew meets a mysterious boy named Emmet Crane. The story goes on about how they discover more and more about each other every time they get together. They go on adventures, meet new friends, which brings them even closer together. For the first time, Drew actually has a true friend that gets her.
My favorite part of the book was the bond between Drew and Emmet that just kept growing every time they were together. The story had many great aspects especially how she combines mystery, adventure, romance, and drama all in one book.
My least favorite part of the book was how most of the time the story was very slow. It didn’t leave me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. It was like a hill on a rollercoaster. It started out slow then it gradually got better and better but then at the end it became slow and less interesting again. I guess I just didn’t like the ending.
This book was overall a heart-touching, quirky story about a girl and her rat who just want to fit in and find a true friend. It was beautifully written by Dana Reinhardt and I would definitely love to read more of her books. ( )

In this teen novel, thirteen-year-old Drew is looking forward to a summer of working in her mother's new cheese shop, spending time with nineteen-year old Nick. But then Nick gets a girlfriend, and her mother doesn't seem to have time for her. Drew spends more time with Emmett Crane, a mysterious boy who also loves both cheese and her pet rat, Hum. She begins to pull away from her mother, as she is drawn into Emmett's story. Emmett becomes Drew's first true friend and she must decide what she is willing to risk for that friendship. This is a story about beginning to grow up, having something to believe in, and friendship. ( )

Publishers Weekly
Reinhardt (The Things a Brother Knows) traces the friendship formed between two lonely adolescents in this atmospheric novel set in California during the 1980s. Thirteen-year-old Drew first runs into Emmett, a scraggly, slightly older boy, when she is looking for her lost pet rat in the alley behind her mother's gourmet cheese shop. Though reluctant to talk about himself, Emmett draws Drew into his world, eventually confiding his secret dream: to find a legendary spring with healing powers. Betraying her mother's trust by running away from home, Drew accompanies Emmett on an eye-opening journey to find the magic waters, during which she learns some bittersweet lessons about love and sacrifice. Laced with mystery and fascinating details about Drew's chief interests—rats and cheese—this quiet novel invites readers to share in its heroine's deepest yearnings, changing moods, and difficult realizations. Strong imagery, such as a description of the Golden Gate Bridge—"First faint and blurred like a watercolor painting, and then strong and vibrant, an electric red against a pale blue sky"—will stay with readers. Ages 12–up ( )