Man from the Sky
Knopf, 1980
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audio book narrated by
George Guidall
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What’s this book about?
In an almost failproof scheme, a man parachutes from an airplane with a large amount of money, only to be seen by a boy who has a reputation for seeing things in the clouds.
Everyone knows that Jamie is a dreamer. When he looks up at the sky, instead of clouds he sees knights and dragons from centuries past and fabulous creatures from far-off lands. But one day he looks up and sees something even more incredible: a man in a business suit parachuting from a plane.
Story Behind the Story
On November 14, 1971, a man who came to be known as “D.B. Cooper” hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft when it was flying between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. It was the first plane hijacking in the US. The man leaped from the plane—when it was flying—and parachuted somewhere with a mass of stolen money. It is not known if he survived, who he really was, or what happened to the money.
All those unknowns did not keep any number of people from investigating the event, and trying to find out—or invent—what in fact happened. I can recall talking to a crime reporter who told me he knew the whole story, having “just interviewed” D.B. Cooper. But the reporter would tell me no more. “Saving it for my newspaper,” he said. Oh, sure.
Awards and Recognition
- IRA Children’s Choice, 1980
- Starred Review, Booklist, 1980
Reviews
“Avi combines simplicity of style with wit as he builds a believable, gripping plot that is highly accessible to young readers.” (Booklist, starred review)
buy the book
if you liked this book, try: