Alison's Wings (Hyperion Chapters) - Hardcover

Grade 1-2?Well-turned phrases and a strong cast of characters combine to make this book a dandy addition. Bauer has a gift for characterization and for portraying relationships; even the sparse text of a beginning chapter book does not diminish this gift. Alison is a plucky girl who dreams she can fly. Her subsequent desire to sprout wings engages her family, best friend, and readers. Each of her attempts to become airborne falls short of the imagined joy until she succumbs once again to dream flight. The sibling relationship is particularly engrossing?Alison's older brother talks her into leaping off the porch in her Superwoman cape/bath towel. Language is simple enough for beginning readers to handle on their own, but rich enough to be a pleasure to read aloud. The repetition of the dream imagery from the first chapter to the last yields a satisfying closure to the tale. Appealing pencil illustrations appear throughout. A worthy choice for youngsters ready to take the plunge into chapter books.?Jody McCoy, Casady School, Oklahoma City
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ignoring everyone's skepticism, Alison is sure that ``girl wings'' are about to poke out of her shoulder bumps. They do, sort of, but only when she's asleep. This entry in the Chapters series is simply and sparely written, but the episodes too often have disappointing outcomes. Brother Mike tells Alison to try flying off the porch; he amuses himself but all she gets is a bandaged knee. A playmate seems to share Alison's dream of flight, but gives up easily. Her parents surprise her with an airplane ride; she suffers through it silently and then smiles politely afterward. In the most satisfying chapter, Grandpa installs ``the nicest swing in the world'' on top of a hill: ``Here you are. Wings for a girl.'' But Alison will accept no substitutes, and the book ends much as it began, as she sinks into a nighttime dream of flying. Well-crafted, but prosaic and downbeat. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 6-8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.