When Pigs Fly

After struggling with the bills, her parents sell the family home and, much to Buddy's dismay, move to an old farmhouse, but the farmhouse seems to hold some special charms, and Buddy soon realizes it was the right move after all. Reprint.

Grade 5-8?There have been stories about sugar babies and flour babies, but the egg babies in When Pigs Fly may be the most apt metaphor of all. Teaching a class of eighth graders about responsibility by giving them hard-boiled eggs to take care of for two weeks is a good idea, but the eggs are not as fragile as the families that surround Buddy, this novel's insecure, loyal narrator. Her father is out of work and the family is forced to move to a crumbling old farm they've inherited just outside of town. Buddy's best friend is struggling to survive the devastation of a divorce where neither parent is much interested in her anymore. Her newest friend has no family or home at all and is desperately trying to keep his situation a secret. As Buddy deals with the loss of her own home, the despair of her friends, and the strain of life with a little sister with Down's syndrome, she continues to care for her egg. It's the younger girl who manages to cast light and humor over the lives of everyone she touches and who helps her sister to see her own worth. The many serious issues flow smoothly from the strength of Wood's solid characters toward a realistic resolution. No happy ending here, but sure enough, there are possibilities and life goes on.?Susan Oliver, Hillsborough County Science Library at MOSI, Tampa, FL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.