Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher

From Goodreads:

"Friday, April 28, 9:00 a.m.

Opportunity is knocking at the door of Mr. "Fab" Fabiano's sixth-grade class. Mr. Fab is absent and a substitute never arrives. The class wants to prove that KIDS RULE, so they decide to run the class on their own. Super smart Karen leads the way in the class routines and most of the kids join in. But for Rachel White, this isn't just any other day. Rachel's been silent for six months and communicates by writing notes. Rachel knows today is exactly six months since their classmate Tommy Feathers died. In her own way, Rachel reminds the class about this--and for the first time, Mr. Fab's students reveal their true and sometimes hurtful thoughts. Where is Mr. Fab's class headed now? The school day isn't over yet. Will they keep flying solo or crash?"

Goodreads - Flying Solo

Awards:

• Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award - 2000

A fellow co-worker told me that I absolutely HAD to read this book.  She said that it was a wonderful read and that she expected I would really enjoy it.  She gave me a copy of the book to borrow and told me to read it whenever I had time.  She gave me the book back in February or March.  Obviously it took a little while for me to get around to reading it, but the book did not let me down.

At the beginning we are introduced to four different students who are members of Mr. "Fab" Fabiano's class.  We soon find out that he is absent and the sub has called in sick.  A few mishaps happen and a replacement sub is never called in for the class.  The students follow their normal routine in the class and follow the lesson plans that Mr.Fab left for the sub.  We see the students interact with each other and it finally comes down to almost the end of the day when Rachel accuses Bastian of bullying Tommy Feathers who died earlier in the year.  I don't want to give away the ending, but it is incredible.

This book was wonderful.  I loved every word on every page.  I loved how Fletcher introduced us to four of the students at home so we could come to terms with what they were dealing with at home.  As a teacher, there are so many times that I want take a glimpse into a student's home life.  I want to know what is going on at night when they should be sleeping or why their homework is never completed.  But I can't do that.  Fletcher allowed us to see what kind of home each student was living in in terms of parents and siblings.  Throughout the book we see characters interact with each other in the classroom.  I think in reality it shows how some people carry different baggage with them and how they can't help what is happening at home, but we all have to love each other and help each other out.  This would be a wonderful lesson to teach to students about how we all have things going on in our lives that others may not know about.  We shouldn't be quick to judge people.  This was a profound message in this book.  There was also the bullying message that was included.  It was more toward the end of the book, but it was there none the less and the students owned up to what they had done as far as bullying goes.

I also enjoyed how there isn't a sub and the students just run the class themselves with minimal issues.  As a teacher this is one of my goals.  I want my students to be able to run my class without me being there.  They should know how to take attendance, how to do their classwork, at what time we do certain things, how different procedures happen in class, etc.  In reality though kids would probably go crazy in this situation.  There would be some who would say they needed to tell another teacher or that everyone needed to just sit quietly.  And of course there would be those who would be bouncing off of the walls of my classroom.  I just loved the environment that Mr.Fab had created and how it was such a set routine in his classroom.  I also really enjoyed his rock ceremony.  I enjoyed it so much that I'm currently coming up with the logistics of having a rock ceremony in my own classroom.  I plan to structure mine where everyone brings a rock in and we have a ceremony that joins us as a class.  Then if students leave we have a leaving rock ceremony and if kids join our class they have a welcoming rock ceremony.  It really creates a culture for learning and helps solidify a class as a family and not a bunch of students in a room.  My one last comment was Mr.Fab using the teachable moment the Monday after the class was "flying solo".  Instead of getting angry or upset at what had happened, he simply asked the students to write and tell him what happened.  He could have went off on a tangent, but instead he had them put their thoughts, feelings, and actions from Friday into a well thought out writing.  It was brilliant.

This book made me love my job more than I already do.  It made me want to do all these amazing things, such as the rock ceremony or special writing or reading time.  This book deserves 6 stars, but I have set my limit at 5 so 5 stars is what the book gets!