The Fledgling is..
Georgie is pretty sure she can fly. She thinks she’s done it before, and she keeps making attempts to do it again. Her mother and uncle are concerned for her safety, as are her cousins, but this doesn’t stop Georgie from developing a relationship with The Goose Prince, a mysterious bird who comes to Georgie’s bedroom window at night to take her flying.
Jane Langton spins a marvelous fantasy that wild delight all who dream that someday, somehow, we will magically find ourselves aloft and suddenly able to fly! The Fledgling is. In 1973, Jane Langton wrote a two-part essay for The Horn Book Magazine in which she analyzes the basic tenets of fantasy for children. The Fledgling serves as a reflection on American transcendentalism, blending fantasy and animal storytelling.
Unfortunately, two of the neighbors - Miss Prawn and Mr. Preek - have also noticed the bird, and they are not pleased to have it around. Miss Prawn is convinced the bird’s presence means Georgie is a fairy child whose fate will be determined at the full moon.
The Fledgling by Jane Langton creates a dreamy atmosphere where anything is possible.
Mr. Preek simply sees the bird as a menace and seeks to destroy it the moment hunting season begins.
I picked up The Fledglingbecause of the Newbery Honor sticker on the front cover, and I read the entire thing before I found out that it is the fourth book in a series, the Hall family chronicles.
To the author’s credit, this book really stands o