Soar by Tracy Edward Wymer

Soar by Tracy Edward Wymer is one of the seven books the HS Newbery Club is reading, discussing, and voting on during the month of September.

From Amazon...
Seventh grader Eddie is determined to honor his father's legacy and win the school science fair in this fun and quirky debut novel.

Eddie learned everything there is to know about birding from his dad, including the legend of the Golden Eagle, which Dad claimed he saw once down near Miss Dorothy's pond. According to his dad, the Golden Eagle had wings wider than a creek and talons the size of bulldozer claws. But when Eddie was in sixth grade, Dad "flew away" for good, leaving Eddie on his own to await the return of the elusive raptor.

Now Eddie is starting seventh grade and trying to impress Gabriella, the new girl in town. The annual seventh grade Science Symposium (which Dad famously won) is looming, and Eddie is determined to claim the blue ribbon for himself. With Mr. Dover, the science teacher who was Dad's birding rival, seemingly against him, and with Mouton, the class bully, making his life miserable on all fronts, Eddie is determined to overcome everything and live up to Dad's memory. Can Eddie soar and make his dream take flight?

Reviews...

• "Wymer weaves together action, internal monologue, and enough birding facts and bird call mnemonics to satisfy most readers and delight any budding ornithologist. The emotional and neatly packaged ending as well as the book's unique focus will keep many young readers fully invested in Eddie's story." ~Booklist

• "Introspective and insightful yet believably uncertain and unknowing, Eddie makes a resonant protagonist, and indications of his family's low socioeconomic status, further strained after his father's passing, add subtle tension to this quiet novel, as does his volatile relationship with Mouton. This would satisfy budding naturalists but also suit readers wrestling with grief or the confusing feeling of doubting a beloved adult." ~Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

If you read Soar, please comment on this post using the six listed criteria. Rate the author's success in each area out of 5 and include your rating in the comments. Also include the book's total score out of 30. Provide evidence from the book to support your comments and your rating. We will use these scores to help us determine which books move on to our final selection round.

Character Traits/Development: This will cover the main characters and any supporting characters that seem important and/or interesting. What are the traits of these characters? What type of people are they? Do we see him/her change throughout the course of the story? If so, how and why?

Setting: Where and when does the story take place? Why do you think the author chose this setting? How does it lend itself to helping the development of the story?

Plot: What are the main events in the story? What are the events that take place that cause a change to happen in the main character(s)?

Theme: What are the big ideas? What lesson does the author want us to learn from this story?

Word Choice/Language: Describe the word choice used by the author. How does this help the reader to understand and visualize the events, characters, and message of the story?

Voice: How does the author develop the distinct voice of the characters in the story? Why do you think the author did that? Does it make the reader respond in a certain way to the different characters? How?

Finally...

What is your opinion? Do you think this should be considered for a final vote for our Mock Newbery Award? Why or why not?