Fly Me Home

Polly Ho-Yen's Fly Me Home is a quietly magical story for 9 year olds about a girl, new to London, who keeps finding small gifts left outside her front door.

What happens

Leelu, her mum and her big brother Tiber have flown to London from a home where everything was brighter. Dad had to stay behind (something to do with his work, though nobody will quite say what). London feels grey and freezing. The new house smells of the rubbish people dump by the bin, and Leelu and Tiber have to share a tiny bedroom.

Then Leelu finds a walnut wedged between the bin and the lamppost. Later there's a strange ridged nut, then a conker, each one tucked into the same spot. And when she holds them and wishes very hard, things seem to happen. A coin toss lands her way. Tiber gets a broken phone working, and they get to speak to Dad.

Until the line breaks up. The last word Leelu hears clearly is Dad saying "Help".

Leelu tells the story herself, and she's a very still, watchful narrator. You really feel how big and loud everything is to her. On her first day at school she can't make herself walk over to her new class. Tiber, who teases her constantly, crouches down and admits he's scared too (a lovely moment).

It's Dad's promise that stays with you, though. Wherever they are, at nine o'clock her time, they'll both look up at the same crater on the moon.

This is a gentle book, but it's all about missing someone, and nobody will tell Leelu why Dad couldn't come. There are hints the family had to leave for their safety. For a child who's moved, or whose family is split across countries, it could feel very close to home (in a comforting way or a hard one). A thoughtful reader who likes their magic tucked inside real life will be hooked.

What to read next

If they're ready for more Polly Ho-Yen, Boy in the Tower is set in a city tower block. Ade watches strange plants creep over the city from his window, with a mum at home who isn't well. It's a heavier read, so have a look yourself first.