Piper McCloud lives with her normal ma and pa on a normal farm in normal Lowland County. But Piper isn’t your normal girl. Ever since Piper ...
read full description
reviews
Nov 27, 2008
Lucy
rated it: 
The McClouds have always done things the same way. They've farmed the same land, lived in the same town, and lived the same simple life for generations. But Piper McCloud is different. From the moment she was born, Piper could float, and when she got a little older, Piper taught herself how to fly.
When Piper accidentally reveals her talent at the town's Fourth of July picnic, she causes an uproar, and draws a lot of attention--including the attention of Dr. Letitia Hellion, who ru More...
When Piper accidentally reveals her talent at the town's Fourth of July picnic, she causes an uproar, and draws a lot of attention--including the attention of Dr. Letitia Hellion, who ru More...
2 comments
like
(12 people liked it)
Feb 09, 2009
Becky
rated it: 
Forester, Victoria. 2008. The Girl Who Could Fly.
Piper decided to jump off of the roof. It wasn't a rash decision on her part.
The Girl Who Could Fly is an odd little book that I couldn't help enjoying. Piper McCloud, she flies. A girl who flies. When her flying catches attention, mysterious strangers show up on the family farm promising her family that they've got the perfect school for her. A school where her specialness will be appreciated. So away Piper goes. Leaving b More...
Piper decided to jump off of the roof. It wasn't a rash decision on her part.
The Girl Who Could Fly is an odd little book that I couldn't help enjoying. Piper McCloud, she flies. A girl who flies. When her flying catches attention, mysterious strangers show up on the family farm promising her family that they've got the perfect school for her. A school where her specialness will be appreciated. So away Piper goes. Leaving b More...
2 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Apr 13, 2011
Joy Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
rated it:
This book was recommended by one of my favorite authors, Stephenie Meyer. On her site she states, The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester "is the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men."
The librarian likes to talk with me about the books I read and where I get my suggestions. So, when I picked up the book today - (TODAY, I read this book in a day!), I gave her Stephenie's take about it being a cross between Little House on the Prairie and the X-Men. Jus More...
The librarian likes to talk with me about the books I read and where I get my suggestions. So, when I picked up the book today - (TODAY, I read this book in a day!), I gave her Stephenie's take about it being a cross between Little House on the Prairie and the X-Men. Jus More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Mar 18, 2009
Tamara
rated it:
This book is utterly fabulous. While charmed from the beginning, I was simultaneously wary that it might be hodge podge of ripped off ideas from Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter & X-Men. Thankfully, this book ended up creating a world of characters and places firmly its own. I love this book, and recommend it to anyone.
2 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Apr 01, 2009
Libby
rated it: 
Well-written with interesting and complex characters, this book was better than its summary led me to believe. Piper McCloud is a sheltered farm girl who discovers she can fly. When she reveals this to her close-minded community, the expected fear of anything different surfaces and forces Piper into a special school with other 'gifted' children.
While presenting the age old conflict of individuality vs. conformity, this book provides complex characters and unexpected twists of plot. More...
While presenting the age old conflict of individuality vs. conformity, this book provides complex characters and unexpected twists of plot. More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 29, 2011
Charlyn
rated it:
Piper's father and mother are simple folk, a farm family in a small community. So when they find baby Piper floating, they realize this child is special and they shelter her from the curious. Piper eventually realizes she has the gift of flight, but she doesn't realize how dangerous that gift is until she uses it to catch a baseball at a picnic and finds an army of reporters surrounding the house the next day. When Dr. Hellion, a beautiful, kind woman, arrives and promises to take Piper away
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 23, 2009
Lindsey
rated it:
Piper McCloud can fly, and when the neighbors find out, a super-secret organization comes and takes her away to live with other kids (and plants and animals) with special talents. At first we are led to believe this organization (I.N.S.A.N.E.) wants to help them, but the true motives are much more sinister.
I liked this book, but I have a hard time pinning down the audience. I would say 3rd-5th grade, but there is a scene where Piper is tortured for her misbehavior and it seemed too More...
I liked this book, but I have a hard time pinning down the audience. I would say 3rd-5th grade, but there is a scene where Piper is tortured for her misbehavior and it seemed too More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
May 28, 2009
Amanda
rated it:
I was forced to end my reading strike (for the rest of May) when I picked this book up and innocently read the first couple of pages. While parts of the book are awkwardly written, I couldn't help but fall in love with the main character and kept reading just to make sure she ended up okay. The story was captivating and the message was good. This was a great quick read.
Oct 25, 2011
"Nadie se explica el por qué. Ni sus padres, temerosos de que el Señor les haya enviado un mensaje desde el cielo, ni los vecinos, cotillas e incrédulos, ni ninguno de los animales que vive en la granja, pero Piper McCloud puede volar. No utilizando aviones ni subiéndose a globos aerostáticos como el resto de los mortales, sino por sí misma. Sólo necesita concentrarse, dejar la mente en blanco y… ¡voila! Al momento siguiente se encuentra disfrutando de una espléndida vista aérea y de la com
More...
Feb 16, 2009
Kate
rated it:
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I basically like the main character, Piper, and I also like the initial setting of a farm--which makes this book rural fantasy, the new subgenre I've been telling people about (Ingrid Law's Savvy is the best-known example). On the other hand, the later chapters are a little bumpy. Piper McCloud can fly, so her anxious, tradition-bound parents spend the early years of her life trying to hide her gift. Eventually the neighbors find out, and s
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jan 23, 2009
Eva
rated it:
Weird, isn’t it, how certain themes will pop in several different books all of a sudden? In The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester (Feiwel and Friends, 2008), young Piper McCloud has a special gift – she can fly (making her name quite apt). This gift – and the fact that other kids around the world are born with other unique gifts – and Piper’s down-home folksiness reminded me quite a bit of Ingrid Law’s Savvy, with those unique Talents that a certain family inherits at age 13. And then t
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 08, 2012
Hannah
rated it: 
I would probably give this 2.5 stars.
But let me start out this review by saying this book is not for children.
It's just not. There are numerous conflicts in the book that require a more mature grasp of reality. Torture, abuse, imprisonment, lobotomy, religion, death, drugs, and lies. Not to mention that there were certain sexual innuendos as well as moderate curse words. All of it was heavily present, and the final result was a book whose audience has been incorrectly marketed More...
But let me start out this review by saying this book is not for children.
It's just not. There are numerous conflicts in the book that require a more mature grasp of reality. Torture, abuse, imprisonment, lobotomy, religion, death, drugs, and lies. Not to mention that there were certain sexual innuendos as well as moderate curse words. All of it was heavily present, and the final result was a book whose audience has been incorrectly marketed More...
Jan 15, 2012
Cynthia
rated it:
Bercerita tentang Piper McCloud, seorang anak perempuan dari Lowland Country yang memiliki kemampuan untuk terbang. Suatu hari, dia ditemukan oleh agen dari INSANE (Institute of Normalcy, Stability and Non-Exceptionality) dan dimasukkan ke institut itu. At the beginning, she is enjoying making friends with other kids that are also special, learning and overall..adapting. Konfliknya muncul saat ternyata INSANE tidak seperti yang terlihat, institut itu ternyata dikelola untuk tujuan............sam
More...
Nov 16, 2011
Nina
rated it:
After reading The Girl with the Silver Eyes I was a bit hesitant to pick up another middle grade book. But after carefully deciding what to read in the month November, I couldn’t resist this fabulous cover and picked it up right away. I’m glad I did, because it was a fantastic middle grade read.
Piper McCloud (Don’t you just love that name?) is such a cute little girl. She’s so adorable and loves flying. Yes, flying. All of the other characters were great too, especially the villain. More...
Piper McCloud (Don’t you just love that name?) is such a cute little girl. She’s so adorable and loves flying. Yes, flying. All of the other characters were great too, especially the villain. More...
Sep 29, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
The Girl Who Could Fly is a farm girl named Piper McCloud. She thinks her ability is as natural as breathing. Living in a farm away from technology and all sophistication , Piper's exploits are commonsensical and innocent but would have been downright idiotic and ignorant if applied to a kid with proper education in the city. Piper is artless on how her talent could shake the world, and separate her from her family. But she meets other special children, gains their support, and triumphs over
More...
Aug 22, 2011
Seanean
rated it:
http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/2011/0...
Piper's parents come from a long line of practical people. If it always worked before, why change it?
When Piper was born, she was already an impractical baby. Her parents had long since given up on having children before she was conceived, so her birth was a bit abnormal and caused a lot of talk around town.
Shortly after she was born, she began to float. She was bumping the ceiling before she crawled on the floor. She More...
Piper's parents come from a long line of practical people. If it always worked before, why change it?
When Piper was born, she was already an impractical baby. Her parents had long since given up on having children before she was conceived, so her birth was a bit abnormal and caused a lot of talk around town.
Shortly after she was born, she began to float. She was bumping the ceiling before she crawled on the floor. She More...
Jul 21, 2011
Bookworm12
rated it:
This book is a very heartwarming, quirky tale. You'll laugh , gasp, and, I'll admit, sometimes cry.
I am constantly re-reading this and recommending it.
Piper McClould can fly. She can see the good in almost everything, and is always talking and asking questions. Her mother Bettty is a nononsense person, and very religious too. Joe is the very quiet, hard working father.
Ever since she was little she could float. Her Ma and Pa panicked, and didn't let her leave the fa More...
I am constantly re-reading this and recommending it.
Piper McClould can fly. She can see the good in almost everything, and is always talking and asking questions. Her mother Bettty is a nononsense person, and very religious too. Joe is the very quiet, hard working father.
Ever since she was little she could float. Her Ma and Pa panicked, and didn't let her leave the fa More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 10, 2011
Shanshad
rated it:
Maybe I'm just more persnickety these days, but I just could not relax into the writing of this book. The opening was fine, but once we get to the meat of the story with Piper, the narrator voice becomes confusing to follow and unreliable to boot. Not to mention I found several of the conceits used in this book annoying. Naming being likely the biggest. Umm . . . Dr. HELLION??? Really can anyone featuring that name be assumed to be a good guy???
I had to skim the rest of the sto More...
I had to skim the rest of the sto More...
Jul 08, 2011
David
rated it:
Superb. I picked this up for my 10-year-old based on an "if you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society" recommendation, and it did not disappoint. Like an X-Men for kids, this follows a group of kids with special abilities in a modern setting where most people are normal. Most of the story, however, takes place in an underground secret government lab where they use psychological manipulation to convince the kids to reject their abilities and become "normal". (Their special
More...
Jul 06, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
This book probably deserves more than 2 stars, but on GoodReads, 2 stars corresponds to "it was ok," which definitely describes how I felt after reading this book ("Eh, it was okay"). This book was diverting, but as is the case when I pick up a children's fantasy novel that I haven't heard great things about just to scratch the itch (or when you're craving a food but aren't sure exactly what and pick something out of the cupboard), it ended up falling flat and left me wantin
More...
Jul 04, 2011
Fiary
rated it:
‘Jika kau tidak memilih jalan mana yang akan kau tempuh, maka orang lainlah yang akan memilihkannya untukmu’.
‘Tentukan pilihanmu. Raih, kejar dan wujudkan mimpimu.’
‘Kita tidak bisa belajar sesuatu yang berharga tanpa membuat beberapa kesalahan.’
Menurutku ceritanya sangat menarik, malahan dibeberapa bagian cerita membuat mata yang baca berkaca-kaca bahkan sempat menitikkan air mata. Banyak nilai-nilai yang ditanamkan dari si kecil Piper McCloud.
Joe dan Betty M More...
‘Tentukan pilihanmu. Raih, kejar dan wujudkan mimpimu.’
‘Kita tidak bisa belajar sesuatu yang berharga tanpa membuat beberapa kesalahan.’
Menurutku ceritanya sangat menarik, malahan dibeberapa bagian cerita membuat mata yang baca berkaca-kaca bahkan sempat menitikkan air mata. Banyak nilai-nilai yang ditanamkan dari si kecil Piper McCloud.
Joe dan Betty M More...
Jun 18, 2011
Jia
rated it:
It's a really cool book!
When Piper show off her flying in a baseball game, now everyone knows that she can fly. When she woke up one morning she found all those photographers and reporters, helicopters, and cars all over her family's farm. And then out came out the most beautiful women on earth(so people said) Dr. Hellin, determined to take Piper away to her an underground school for people with special abilities like her. Bella-who can make rainbows, Kimber-who can make electricities, Smit More...
When Piper show off her flying in a baseball game, now everyone knows that she can fly. When she woke up one morning she found all those photographers and reporters, helicopters, and cars all over her family's farm. And then out came out the most beautiful women on earth(so people said) Dr. Hellin, determined to take Piper away to her an underground school for people with special abilities like her. Bella-who can make rainbows, Kimber-who can make electricities, Smit More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 29, 2011
Alyssa
rated it:
This was the first book I decided to read off the Iowa Children's Choice Award list, and as I was reading it, I decided it would probably be my favorite. I guess we'll find out in the next few months if that prediction was true!
OK, so I loved this book. It's the story of a girl named Piper McCloud. As you could probably tell from the title, Piper has the ability to fly. It doesn't come easy, but she practices hard and soon finds that it is the only thing that makes her truly happy. How More...
OK, so I loved this book. It's the story of a girl named Piper McCloud. As you could probably tell from the title, Piper has the ability to fly. It doesn't come easy, but she practices hard and soon finds that it is the only thing that makes her truly happy. How More...
Mar 17, 2011
Yenny
rated it:
I picked the book up one day in my school library and since I was already Brisingr, I swore to myself that when I finished the tome I would come back for it for the blurb of the book caught my attention. Of course, I stuck to my word and picked it up later on that week. However, I was surprised by the strange way the author presented the characters. I didn't like it, literally speaking. But after a while I came to like the characters and it made me smile everytime the characters spoke.
More...
More...
Mar 16, 2011
Ben
rated it:
Reviewed for My Comfy Chair - Safe, friendly Kid-lit reviews
The Girl Who Could Fly is a good book, but it doesn't make me happy to say that. Some books only aim for good, and if they attain that, everyone is happy. I wanted to love this book, and it had the potential, but it fell short over and over. Lots of kids will read and like this book, but the words that kept running through my head were those of Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront:
The Girl Who Could Fly is a good book, but it doesn't make me happy to say that. Some books only aim for good, and if they attain that, everyone is happy. I wanted to love this book, and it had the potential, but it fell short over and over. Lots of kids will read and like this book, but the words that kept running through my head were those of Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront:
I coulda had class. I coulda been a coMore...
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 11, 2011
Marsha
rated it:
This is like a cross between X-men and Anne of Green Gables, but in a very good way. :)
Piper McCloud is born to God-fearing parents who have come from generations of folk who always have done things the same way and see no reason to change. Piper turns their lives upside down when she starts to float as a baby. They are terrified that someone will find out, and with good reason--the live in a gossipy, close-minded community. After Piper teaches herself to fly, her parents tell her to s More...
Piper McCloud is born to God-fearing parents who have come from generations of folk who always have done things the same way and see no reason to change. Piper turns their lives upside down when she starts to float as a baby. They are terrified that someone will find out, and with good reason--the live in a gossipy, close-minded community. After Piper teaches herself to fly, her parents tell her to s More...
Dec 14, 2010
Bonnie at
rated it:
Have you ever picked up a book and thought, "Hmm, that sounds interesting," then, upon reading it, think it's middle-ground, only to change your mind yet again because the final third is so good it more than makes up for everything else? That was my experience with The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester. I'm not saying the first two-thirds were sub-par or dislikable, just that I wasn't hanging onto
every twist and turn in the plot. By the end, however, I was hoping there was More...
every twist and turn in the plot. By the end, however, I was hoping there was More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 28, 2010
H3dakota
rated it:
LOL, I thought the description of this book intriguing enough that I bought TWO copies of it, accidentally! I read it in one sitting - it's a fun, fast & relatively lighthearted read. I would have enjoyed it as a 10 year old. I wouldn't recommend it for an elementary child if he/she is highly sensitive, especially if any cruelty to animals is upsetting. There just a few pages where Piper discovers that gifted animals, plants & insects are being tortured - crucial to the story in that she doe
More...
Oct 19, 2010
Antof9
rated it:
What a fun book! I love having a 12-year-old neighbor because she lends me books like this! She bought it with her own money and let me read it before the spine was even broken :)
I found this charming and intriguing. There's definitely an X-Men feel to it, but in a great "kid" way. This author totally understands how kids interact with each other, too, and that gave it such believability.
I really like the e e cummings quote at the front of the book: To be n More...
I found this charming and intriguing. There's definitely an X-Men feel to it, but in a great "kid" way. This author totally understands how kids interact with each other, too, and that gave it such believability.
I really like the e e cummings quote at the front of the book: To be n More...
Oct 12, 2010
Malvi
rated it: 
My daughter (a third grader)purchased the book at her school's bookfair. I read the book after she finished it because she couldn't sleep. This is not a book for a Third grader. The story reminded me of thrillers and stories by other authors. I believe it is totally unsuitable to introduce concepts as lobotomy, description of torture to animals and people and their imminent elimination if they don't conform, a replica of the obedience experiment of Milgram (how you can turn into a killer),
More...
