In this emotional and riveting middle grade novel that's The Misfits
meets Hatchet, two unlikely friends fly off on an adventure they hope
will set them free--only to learn the value of what they left
behind.
Gerty has a secret: She's building an airplane. She wants to join the
Civil Air Patrol, where pilots as young as twelve help with disaster
relief--but she knows her parents would be outraged. They're
survivalists who raised her to be independent and only enrolled her in
middle school to show her why they've decided to opt out of society.
Still, Gerty is determined to protect her beloved Pando, a nearby
ancient aspen forest.
Hayes has some problems of his own, but they aren't the kind that can be
hidden under a tarp. His mom is back from prison, but he's not sure
he'll ever stop missing the mom she used to be. One thing is certain:
He's never going to be like her. He follows the rules. But Gerty is the
only person at school Hayes doesn't hate, so after she tells him about
her hidden plane, he helps her finish it.
When wildfires break out nearby, Gerty wants to fly to Pando and make
sure it's safe--and Hayes is tempted by the chance to escape everything
on the ground. But the duo will soon realize that they can't escape
their roots--and that holding onto those connections might be the real
key to survival.
