Swift by RJ Anderson is the first book in the Flight and Flame trilogy. It tells the story of Ivy, a piskey girl born without wings, and her journey to discover who she is. Ivy must stand up for what she believes in as she learns the truth about her people and their interactions with the outside world. This book has amazing themes for discussion: loyalty, standing firm, self-sacrifice, honesty, facing consequences, the power of a "thank you" and more. One of several take-aways from this book is Ivy and her stubbornness. This character trait is often perceived as a weakness (in Ivy, too), but it also helps her to not give up in a moment when giving up would have been much easier. I loved this book, but even more I loved my conversation with Ms. Anderson about her books. Ms. Anderson pointed out that we all encounter hard things in our life and have to walk through those hard things. In the midst of it, we have choices to make as our faith grows or wanes. Our children need to read about characters in all genres who face hard things and scary things and the same choices we are faced with. They (and we) need to see characters grow and come out of hard times with a stronger faith. Ivy gains physical wings early in the book as they are seen as a symbol of strength and freedom. They give her physical freedom, but true freedom is in finding and continuing to find her true self. Where do your "wings" come from and what do they enable you to do?
Click HERE to see the interview with "Swift" author, R.J. Anderson
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