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The Girl Who Could Fly
The Girl Who Could Fly Cover.jpg
2010 Paperback Edition
Author Victoria Forester
Country U.S.A.
Language English
Genre Modern Fantasy
Publisher Macmillan
Publication date
June 24, 2008
Media type Print
Pages 329
ISBN 978-0-545-24392-6
Followed by The Boy Who Knew Everything 

The Girl Who Could Fly is a popular children's novel written by Victoria Forester. It was published in 2008 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. The story is about a young girl named Piper McCloud who has a very special secret ability.

The Girl Who Could Fly: A Summary

Piper's Secret Ability

Piper McCloud is a simple farm girl living in Lowland County. She is homeschooled and loves to talk and be creative. But Piper is not like other kids. She can fly! She has been able to float in the air since she was a baby.

Her parents, Betty and Joe McCloud, found out when Piper jumped off the roof. Her mom, Betty, was very worried. She told Piper not to fly, but Piper felt like flying was a part of her. She just needed to do it. So, Piper started practicing her flying in secret. Soon, she could fly all around her neighborhood.

A Public Discovery

A few days later, Piper's parents said they would go to the Fourth of July picnic. Piper was very excited. She hoped to make new friends there. But a town gossip, Millie Mae Miller, had spread rumors that Piper was strange.

Piper tried to make friends with Sally Sue Miller. Piper mentioned seeing Sally Sue's mom being unkind to a dog. Sally Sue got scared. She thought Piper was spying on her family.

During a baseball game, Piper kept missing the ball. Millie Mae Miller was watching and sneering. Piper wanted to prove herself. So, she flew up to catch the ball. Everyone at the picnic became silent. They thought Piper was from the devil.

The next morning, reporters surrounded Piper's house. They wanted to know all about 'The Girl Who Could Fly'. This news reached a scientist named Dr. Letitia Hellion. Dr. Hellion was an agent who worked at a special school. This school was for children with unique abilities.

Life at the Academy

Dr. Hellion visited Piper. Piper agreed to go to the academy, but only if she promised not to fly. Before she left, her father gave her a hand-carved bird. It was tied to a blue ribbon. It was a special reminder of him.

When Piper arrived, she took an elevator down to Level Thirteen with Dr. Hellion. Dr. Hellion explained that the school helped not only humans but also plants and animals with special powers. Piper saw amazing things through the glass elevator. There was a butterfly with changing colors and a rose that seemed to growl.

Piper arrived at Level Thirteen, where all the children lived and learned. She met other students like Bella and Conrad. Conrad seemed to dislike her right away.

Uncovering the Truth

At lunch, Piper's glass moved by itself. It turned out a girl named Lily could move things with her mind. Piper used her own power to make Lily's water spill on her dress. This made Piper's new classmates cheer for her.

Later, in class, Conrad picked on Jasper. Jasper was a boy who had forgotten his special talent. Conrad broke Jasper's basket. He then tricked Piper into flying to save herself from falling. This almost got Piper expelled.

During mealtime, Bella made rainbows. Everyone cheered until they saw Bella was crying. Conrad offered to take her to the nurse. Piper started to get along better with Dr. Hellion and the other kids.

Conrad pushed Piper too far one day. During a "graduation" ceremony for Bella, Conrad stole Piper's carved bird. He threw it in the trash. Piper fought with Conrad, and they were both sent to Dr. Hellion's office.

On their way, Piper escaped. She found an incinerator room. There, she saw the growling rose. A machine sprayed a gray substance on it. A tiny drop landed on Piper's arm and burned her. She felt very sorry for the rose.

She also found a turtle with a heavy block on its back. Piper decided to save the animals instead of getting her bird. She freed the turtle, and it bounced happily around the room. It escaped out a window.

While trying to catch the turtle, Piper found a black cricket she had met earlier. It was stuck in glue. She used cotton swabs to free it. She kept the cricket and named him Sebastian. She then heard Jessie and Moo coming. She hid in a room and found a giraffe. It was chained by its legs. Piper gently stroked it, and the giraffe glowed with happiness.

While hiding, Piper heard Dr. Hellion's voice. Scientists found the black cricket missing. CCTV showed Piper took it. Dr. Hellion thought Piper was in her office. Piper flew with difficulty to the office. She saw a phone and called her parents.

Sadly, Conrad ended the call. He took the phone apart, showing it was bugged. He gave Piper her wooden bird back. He explained he had made a copy and thrown the copy in the trash. He told her to keep the cricket and pretend everything was normal.

Conrad then told Dr. Hellion that Piper was hiding something. He said Bella took a black cricket and let Piper touch it. Dr. Hellion asked about the fight over the bird. Conrad denied it, and Piper held up her real bird.

The Escape Plan

After lights out, Conrad explained the truth about the academy. It was called I.N.S.A.N.E. The school tried to make everyone who came through its doors "normal." They put a special formula in the food to stop the children's powers. They did the same for the animals and plants. If that didn't work, they destroyed them.

Conrad had only been picking on Piper to make her angry enough to fly. He wanted her to realize the truth. Piper refused to escape unless everyone else came too. She started to encourage the other kids to dream about using their talents for good.

The only person she couldn't get through to was Jasper. He was scheduled to "graduate" next, meaning he would have completely lost his power. Piper and Conrad told the other kids the plan. They planned an escape.

The escape plan failed. Dr. Hellion put Piper in a special room called a M.O.L.D. She left Piper there to give up. A man with the power of invisibility, known as J, appeared. He tried to get Piper out, but she refused to leave without the others. J left. Sebastian, the cricket, sang to her, showing his talent. But Dr. Hellion killed Sebastian, which made Piper pass out.

Betrayal and Hope

Later, it was revealed that Conrad had betrayed his classmates. Dr. Hellion had found out about the escape plan. She threatened to remove a part of Conrad's brain. He made a deal with Dr. Hellion. If he told her the escape plan details, he would be allowed to leave I.N.S.A.N.E. However, Dr. Hellion tricked Conrad. She said she was his caretaker, so she had to sign for him to leave. She would not let him go.

Conrad was confused about how he could have failed. He stayed in bed for weeks. He realized he often had answers, but not always the right ones. Piper arrived a few weeks later. She had forgotten who she was and could not walk.

Later, the students tried to escape again. They argued about what to do with Piper. Conrad announced he would stay behind with Piper to face the authorities. He realized this was the right choice. Jasper refused to leave and finally remembered his talent: healing. He healed Piper, and she remembered herself and how to fly.

Instead of escaping, they started a revolt. It seemed to work. Conrad then tried to convince his father, an important politician, to give the school to the kids.

The Final Battle

As the children left the school to see the sun, Dr. Hellion waited for them with a stun baton. Piper and Dr. Hellion fought. During the fight, Dr. Hellion revealed she could also fly. She fell towards icy cliffs. She then remembered a sad memory of her younger sister, Sarah. Sarah had died by falling into a cliff when they were flying. Dr. Hellion stopped flying. Piper tried to save her, but Dr. Hellion fell into the icy cliffs below. Piper and the others believed she was dead.

A New Beginning

Several months later, Conrad joined Piper's family. His own family had abandoned him. I.N.S.A.N.E. became a center for caring for plants and animals with special abilities. Some of the kids ran it.

Piper went to the picnic with her friends from I.N.S.A.N.E. They won the yearly baseball game. Lowland County was told that Piper had created an "optical illusion." They were told she was sent to the academy "because she was a bad girl."

Later, Conrad and Piper talked on the roof. Piper told him that J had visited her. J said the kids from I.N.S.A.N.E. were not safe yet. There was another, hidden place where they truly belonged.

Sequels

The story of Piper McCloud continues in other books:

  • A sequel, The Boy Who Knew Everything, was released on October 27, 2015.
  • The third book, The Girl Who Fell Out Of The Sky, came out in January 2020.
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