Fly

Free verse poems voiced by a wheelchair-using 14-year-old with cerebral palsy form a unique, Cervantes-tinged novel from Hughes (Hit the Ground Running). Felix Landon Yarrow—F.L.Y., or Fly—carries his late father’s well-worn copy of Don Quixote at all times as “physical proof/ to ignorant people/ that there’s a/ mind/ in this/ body of mine.” Often disregarded by his peers, Felix nevertheless suggests that “invisibility/ is my superpower” as he observes his crush, Daria, and watches out when popular Carter, whom Felix considers dangerous, also takes an interest in her. After Carter initiates a criminal money-making enterprise at school, Felix channels his hero Quixote, beginning a ploy to protect Daria and bring Carter to justice. Hughes’s complex characterization of Felix—private, well-intentioned, frustrated with others’ low expectations for him—eloquently rings through each observational stanza, especially through his evolving relationship with his “extra, extra” extroverted school aide Levi. The poems, most a page or two in length, stagger words for emphasis and emotional impact, resulting in a seamless and immersive narrative about one teen’s “quest/ for a noble life.” Felix, Carter, and Levi cue as white; Daria is brown-skinned. Ages 10–14. Agent: Hilary McMahon, Westwood Creative Artists. (Oct.)