Twelve-year-old Willem has just two ambitions in life: to fly, and to make at least two friends his own age. But the boys of the Beckham Estate only ever want him to jump off things – first it was his desk, now it’s the wall. As his toes edge over the drop, Sasha Bradley flashes him the tiniest wink. Could she become his friend? Bullied by Finn Maison and his gang, the Beckham Estate Boyz – ‘If Finn Maison shouts jump you jump or you are dead’ – Willem has no choice but to leap. He flaps his arms as he falls, wishing himself into the clouds, but instead crashes down and breaks his ankle. Furious with herself for not stopping Finn, Sasha resolves to make things right, and while riots break out across their estate, she and Willem form an unlikely friendship built on a shared secret: Sasha longs to fly too. Then Magic Man Archie turns up with his tales of war-flying Spitfires, and the lives of the Beckham Estate kids are changed forever – perhaps even enough to help Willem and Sasha finally take to the air. A touching story about friendship and bullying, and a charming tale of overcoming obstacles to find friendship in unlikely places. ‘heart-rending, heartbreaking and heartening’ The Best New Children’s Books Guardian Supplement
ISBN 13: 9781444916768
Author: Jane Elson
