On a Wing and a Tear

Starred review from July 15, 2024
“Over eight hundred human generations ago,” the Animals participated in the Great Ball Game, a match between the Birds and the Mammals to determine who was better. After the Birds rejected Great-Grandfather Bat, he joined the Mammals and led them to victory. When a rematch is announced, Bat—“the original, the bat who carries the mantle of winged-rodent sports history”—must find a way to get from Chicago’s Albany Park, where he’s healing from a torn wing, to the Cherokee playing field near Macon, Ga., that doesn’t involve flying. He turns to his elderly Cherokee and Seminole friend Charlie Halfmoon, who—along with his grandson Ray, Ray’s friend Mel, and their neighbor Gray Squirrel—agrees to chauffeur Bat to the game. During their journey, they encounter myriad obstacles, including a pair of vloggers determined to kidnap Bat. Muscogee author Smith (Harvest House) expertly incorporates characters from previous books into this lightly magical standalone tale. Combining humor, suspense, and a quiet reverence for one’s ancestry, Smith examines how the power of community can affect emotional and physical healing, and the strength it takes to do both. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

Starred review from July 15, 2024
Humans and animals join forces, becoming an unexpected group of heroes working together to save the day. Smith (Muscogee) opens with a Muscogee greeting and reintroduces characters many readers will know from her other books. Great-Grandfather Bat, a well-known ballplayer and revered elder, ponders his injured wing and its impact on the Great Ball Game. Bat catches a ride with Grampa Halfmoon from Chicago to Georgia, heading to a rematch between the Birds and Animals. Young Ray Halfmoon, family friend Melanie, and Gray Squirrel join them. A fascinating circular structure connects the storylines, which contain expertly crafted humorous snippets, and the connection between humans and animal relatives will be evident to readers. Ray, Grampa, and Mel reunite with relatives. Grampa rekindles his connection with a former love interest. Mel faces inner turmoil as she finishes a school assignment while riding along a similar route her ancestors took on the Trail of Tears. When Grampa's rez truck breaks down, pursuing stalkers add a mysterious twist. The novel also addresses important modern-day issues: Habitat loss, protection of the Earth and its animals, historical truths, and references to Native children's literature are cleverly embedded in the story, and secondary characters with admirable careers support Indigenous readers in envisioning their own goals. A unique and noteworthy tale that weaves together past and present with humor through stellar, multilayered writing. (map, glossary, author's note)(Modern folklore. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2024

Gr 4-6-Drawing on characters that may be familiar to readers of Smith's other works, the novel follows Mel Roberts and Ray Halfmoon as their families move in together after meeting at a powwow. The Indigenous preteens provide each other with a built-in support system at school and on the road as they, along with Ray's grandfather and their animal companions, go on a road trip for spring break. The story feels rooted in folklore, with the travelers seeking to get Bat, an animal elder, to a legendary rematch for a race against the birds. However, an author's note clarifies that the book isn't an "age-old traditional story" but pays tribute to Muscogee storytelling. History and romance dot the narrative, though this is an adventure story at its heart. Modern twists include high jinks from vloggers that threaten to derail the road-trippers' successful arrival at their destination. The novel's pacing elicits feelings of a never-ending school break, which may confuse some readers. VERDICT Recommended as an additional purchase for elementary collections where books featuring animals circulate well. Hand to fans of Kate DiCamillo or Katherine Applegate.-Monisha Blair

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2024
Grades 4-6 *Starred Review* Mel and her mom have moved to Chicago to live with Grampa Halfmoon, who has also taken in his orphaned grandson, Ray. Delightfully, among Mel's new acquaintances are a bat and a gray squirrel, both of whom possess the ability to converse with humans. Exciting times are afoot for Great-Grandfather Bat, who is eager to participate in the Great Ball Game, which will see a rematch for the ages: Animals versus Birds! Unfortunately, he has a wing injury that might prevent him from getting to Georgia in time for the game. Cue a spring-break road trip like no other, on which Grampa, Mel, and Ray help Bat journey south, making meaningful connections along the way with others and their Indigenous heritage. Of course, there are many bumps in the road, including an attempted capture of Bat for viral YouTube fame, but the light narrative tone and charming characters ensure an upbeat adventure. Incorporating exceptional Native American representation throughout--Mel is Muscogee-Odawa and Ray is Cherokee-Seminole--Leitich Smith (Muscogee) also provides a glossary and a meaningful author's note that speaks to certain Indigenous beliefs, storytelling traditions, and history. Similar in spirit to Nic Stone's Clean Getaway (2020), this book will appeal to fans of road-trip novels and character-driven stories.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2025
When Great-Grandfather Bat (an actual bat) calls upon (humans) Ray and Mel to help him travel to a rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game in the Southeast Lands of Turtle Island, the two Chicago middle schoolers beg Ray's Grampa Halfmoon to take them all. The road trip is a welcome opportunity for Mel to visit her Muscogee ancestral lands for the first time; she has recently learned more about them through a school project about the Trail of Tears. The ensuing adventure is filled with friendly talking animals and run-ins with goofy wannabe YouTube stars as well as reflection on both kids' Indigenous heritage and injustices against Native peoples and Native nations. Smith has crafted a narrative that explores intergenerational grief and other difficult subjects yet is still jampacked with joy and humor. A jovial narrator ("Hesci, cousins! Looky there at that furry little guy, hugging himself in the hollow of an old oak tree") carries the story along briskly and weaves in Native storytelling elements. Smith (Muscogee Nation) explains these traditions and further contextualizes the history of the removal era in an appended author's note. Monica de los Reyes

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)