Stand on the Sky

By Erin Bow

A girl defies tradition to train an eagle and save her brother's life.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 552 ratings

330 pages· 67,866 words· Est. 7.5 hour read

$16.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Aisulu, a young Kazakh girl, faces tradition and family expectations to save her brother, Serik, whose secret ailment threatens his life. As her parents seek a cure, Aisulu secretly trains an orphaned eagle, challenging norms that only men can fly them. Living with her stern uncle, she must earn the eagle's trust to secure her family's future and preserve their nomadic way of life. Can Aisulu defy the odds and prove that hope truly has wings?

From the publisher

2019 Winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award? An exquisitely written, uplifting middle grade debut by acclaimed author, Erin Bow, about a young girl who defies her family’s expectations in order to save her brother and become an eagle hunter, perfect for fans of PAX. It goes against all tradition for Aisulu to train an eagle, for among the Kazakh nomads, only men can fly them. But everything changes when Aisulu discovers that her brother, Serik, has been concealing a bad limp that risks not just his future as the family’s leader, but his life too. When her parents leave to seek a cure for Serik in a distant hospital, Aisulu finds herself living with her intimidating uncle and strange auntie–and secretly caring for an orphaned baby eagle. To save her brother and keep her family from having to leave their nomadic life behind forever, Aisulu must earn her eagle’s trust and fight for her right to soar. Along the way, she discovers that family are people who choose each other, home is a place you build, and hope is a thing with feathers. Erin Bow’s lyrical middle grade debut is perfect for fans of original animal-friendship stories like Pax and Because of Winn Dixie.

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