The Chance to Fly
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- Create Date：2021-04-16 01:31:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ali Stroker
- ISBN：1419743937
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Summary
A heartfelt middle-grade novel about a theater-loving girl who uses a wheelchair for mobility and her quest to defy expectations—and gravity—from Tony award–winning actress Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz
Thirteen-year-old Nat Beacon loves a lot of things: her dog Warbucks， her best friend Chloe， and competing on her wheelchair racing team， the Zoomers， to name a few。 But there’s one thing she’s absolutely OBSESSED with: MUSICALS！ From Hamilton to Les Mis， there’s not a cast album she hasn’t memorized and belted along to。 She’s never actually been in a musical though， or even seen an actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility on stage。 Would someone like Nat ever get cast？
But when Nat’s family moves from California to New Jersey， Nat stumbles upon auditions for a kids’ production of Wicked， one of her favorite musicals ever！ And she gets into the ensemble！ The other cast members are super cool and inclusive （well， most of them）— especially Malik， the male lead and cutest boy Nat’s ever seen。 But when things go awry a week before opening night， will Nat be able to cast her fears and insecurities aside and “Defy Gravity” in every sense of the song title？
Thirteen-year-old Nat Beacon loves a lot of things: her dog Warbucks， her best friend Chloe， and competing on her wheelchair racing team， the Zoomers， to name a few。 But there’s one thing she’s absolutely OBSESSED with: MUSICALS！ From Hamilton to Les Mis， there’s not a cast album she hasn’t memorized and belted along to。 She’s never actually been in a musical though， or even seen an actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility on stage。 Would someone like Nat ever get cast？
But when Nat’s family moves from California to New Jersey， Nat stumbles upon auditions for a kids’ production of Wicked， one of her favorite musicals ever！ And she gets into the ensemble！ The other cast members are super cool and inclusive （well， most of them）— especially Malik， the male lead and cutest boy Nat’s ever seen。 But when things go awry a week before opening night， will Nat be able to cast her fears and insecurities aside and “Defy Gravity” in every sense of the song title？
Reviews
Jana
，
Nat is a member of the wheelchair racing team， but she also LOVES musicals！ When her new town announced a production of Wicked， she just wanted to be part of it！ She isn’t sure if they will cast someone in a wheelchair though！What she finds are new friends who are awesome and inclusive。 In the letter to the reader at the beginning of the book， the author， Ali Stroker， says “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail？” And that is really what this book felt like it was all about！This teacher Nat is a member of the wheelchair racing team， but she also LOVES musicals！ When her new town announced a production of Wicked， she just wanted to be part of it！ She isn’t sure if they will cast someone in a wheelchair though！What she finds are new friends who are awesome and inclusive。 In the letter to the reader at the beginning of the book， the author， Ali Stroker， says “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail？” And that is really what this book felt like it was all about！This teacher heart was happy♥️。On a scale of good， great or fantastic， this book was GREAT！ 。。。more
Nicole M。 Hewitt
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This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction AddictionAn utterly empowering book for anyone with a disability， The Chance to Fly follows Nat， a young girl with a spectacular singing voice who has always wanted her chance to shine in the spotlight。 The only problem？ She’s in a wheelchair， and her overprotective but well-meaning parents don’t want her to get her hopes up （and then dashed in the process）。 She sneaks away and auditions for the musical of her dreams， and she g This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction AddictionAn utterly empowering book for anyone with a disability， The Chance to Fly follows Nat， a young girl with a spectacular singing voice who has always wanted her chance to shine in the spotlight。 The only problem？ She’s in a wheelchair， and her overprotective but well-meaning parents don’t want her to get her hopes up （and then dashed in the process）。 She sneaks away and auditions for the musical of her dreams， and she gets a part！ But there are many obstacles to overcome， and Nat sometimes questions if her parents may have been right after all。The book is co-written by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz。 Some of you might recognize the first name—Ali was recently the first person in a wheelchair to win a Tony award （and， not long before that， the first person in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway）。 Not surprisingly， the story is semi-autobiographical; while the actual plotline is fictional， the experiences that Nat has， the challenges she faces， and the emotions she goes through are very obviously based on Ali’s own， making the story feel very authentic。 Since Stacy has also been long involved in the theatre， she understands that side of the story as well and is able to help the reader feel like they’re a part of this close-knit cast。 While the story definitely focuses on ableism and Nat’s day-to-day experiences as a person in a wheelchair， those aren’t the only themes explored。 Nat has just moved and is dealing with the unknowns and frustrations of leaving her best friend and starting over in a whole new town。 She develops a crush on a boy in the show and wonders if he feels the same。 She deals with broken friendships and rivalries。 All of these are things that every kid can relate to—and it’s important to remind the “average” middle-grader that kids with disabilities have all of the same hopes， fears， dreams， and disappointments that they do。 In the end， Nat’s story （and Ali’s） is utterly inspirational！***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review。 No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own。*** 。。。more
Pine Reads Review
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“‘Theater is the one place where we can try on different roles and show the world that there’s more to us than what people might see。’”Thirteen-year-old Natalie Beacon is absolutely obsessed with musical theatre。 Except， she’s never actually been in a play before （even if she does have almost every cast album memorized） or seen an actor onstage who uses a wheelchair for mobility like she does。 Lucky for her， when her family relocates from California to New Jersey， Nat discovers a local kids’ pro “‘Theater is the one place where we can try on different roles and show the world that there’s more to us than what people might see。’”Thirteen-year-old Natalie Beacon is absolutely obsessed with musical theatre。 Except， she’s never actually been in a play before （even if she does have almost every cast album memorized） or seen an actor onstage who uses a wheelchair for mobility like she does。 Lucky for her， when her family relocates from California to New Jersey， Nat discovers a local kids’ production of Wicked， one of her favorite shows ever， so she takes a chance， auditions…and gets in！ Soon， Nat’s making friends and having the time of her life。 But when disaster strikes right before opening night， it looks like the show may not go on。 Can Nat cast aside her fears and step into the spotlight？ Or will her dreams of performing end before they’ve even begun？As a huge theatre nerd， I absolutely loved this book！ It was so much fun to follow along with Nat and the other cast members as they rehearsed one of my all-time favorite shows。 And what fun characters！ Nat is a fantastic protagonist: determined and brave， yet oh-so-real in her reactions to facing barrier after barrier。 I wish I could spend an entire day talking about musical theatre and singing cast albums with her！ The other characters are so well-developed and thoroughly bring the story to life。 The blend of their unique personalities and the bond between them all kept me reading late into the night。 Readers will be able to identify with themes of fierce friendship， discovering independence， and breaking boundaries。 I can’t gush about this book enough！ Chock-full of musical theatre references and with amazing and much-needed representation， The Chance to Fly truly defies gravity。 Content Warnings: Ableism， mentions of bullying， mentions of a car accident， mentions of animal death， fire（Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication。）Follow us on Instagram， Twitter， and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www。pinereadsreview。com for reviews， author interviews， blogs， podcast episodes， and more！ 。。。more
Darla
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For every kid who has a dream， even if the odds are against you， don't ever stop finding ways to fly。--from the DedicationNat needs a wheelchair to get around due to a car accident that caused irreversible injuries when she was very young。 Her parents raised her on showtunes， but Nat has always believed there were too many barriers to being on stage。 A family move from California to New Jersey shakes things up and Nat stumbles upon an audition for a summer production of 'Wicked。' Her experiences For every kid who has a dream， even if the odds are against you， don't ever stop finding ways to fly。--from the DedicationNat needs a wheelchair to get around due to a car accident that caused irreversible injuries when she was very young。 Her parents raised her on showtunes， but Nat has always believed there were too many barriers to being on stage。 A family move from California to New Jersey shakes things up and Nat stumbles upon an audition for a summer production of 'Wicked。' Her experiences in a new place and the redefining of her expectations is a delight。 This addition to the #ownvoice body of works will most certainly be a breath of fresh air and a great encouragement to middle grade readers whether or not they have caught the drama bug。Thank you to Shelf Awareness and Abrams Kids for this paperback ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Happy Publication Day！ 。。。more
Emilee （emileereadsbooks）
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Thank you to PRH Audio for this complementary audiobook。This book deserves a standing ovation， because it is all I want in a middle grade novel。 It has a protagonist who is relatable， but unique （Nat is paralysed and in a wheelchair and loves musicals）。 It has supportive parents。 It has stuff about developing and maintaining friendships。 It has the characters dealing with real emotions。 It is fun！ And it made me a little misty eyed at the conclusion。 Plus the author who is herself in a wheelchai Thank you to PRH Audio for this complementary audiobook。This book deserves a standing ovation， because it is all I want in a middle grade novel。 It has a protagonist who is relatable， but unique （Nat is paralysed and in a wheelchair and loves musicals）。 It has supportive parents。 It has stuff about developing and maintaining friendships。 It has the characters dealing with real emotions。 It is fun！ And it made me a little misty eyed at the conclusion。 Plus the author who is herself in a wheelchair and a Broadway star narrates the audio and when she sings it will make you feel all the feels！ I listened to this entire book in one day because I did not want to stop because it made me so happy reading it。*I will say that as with many middle grade books， the protagonist disobeys her parents and is in my opinion not sufficiently punished。 This doesn't detract from the story， but is worth noting so parents know to discuss this with their kids。Content Warning: Ableism， Fire 。。。more
Megan
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I loved this book！ As a former theater kid I loved all the theater references and I’m now listening to the Wicked show track on repeat thanks to this book。
Megan
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ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 Read this one in a day - yes， I’m an adult and it’s a book written for middle graders， but I’m a busy mom！ A really great story about 13 year old Natalie， who is wheelchair bound and has just moved across the country。 She auditions for and is cast in her first theatrical production， and it is great to see her new friends rally around her and for her to realize that her mobility doesn’t have to limit her ability to perform in the sho ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 Read this one in a day - yes， I’m an adult and it’s a book written for middle graders， but I’m a busy mom！ A really great story about 13 year old Natalie， who is wheelchair bound and has just moved across the country。 She auditions for and is cast in her first theatrical production， and it is great to see her new friends rally around her and for her to realize that her mobility doesn’t have to limit her ability to perform in the show。 。。。more
Chantale Onesi-Gonzalez
，
I was introduced to "The Chance to Fly" at the American Library Association's （ALA） Mid-Winter conference this past January， during a session with the authors， Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz。 Their book talk enticed me to search out an advanced copy， even though middle-grade reading isn't really my thing。 After completing the book， I would recommend that this selection be added to every school and public library collection。 I am grateful that my fandom of Ali Stoker led me to the session and t I was introduced to "The Chance to Fly" at the American Library Association's （ALA） Mid-Winter conference this past January， during a session with the authors， Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz。 Their book talk enticed me to search out an advanced copy， even though middle-grade reading isn't really my thing。 After completing the book， I would recommend that this selection be added to every school and public library collection。 I am grateful that my fandom of Ali Stoker led me to the session and this heartwarming， nostalgia-inducing， story。"The Chance to Fly" is the story of a dynamic， precocious， 13-year old， striving to live her best tween life， despite obstacles。 Due to my fierce connection to musical theatre， along with the wonderful character development I was moved to tears （of joy） on several occasions during my reading。 What begins as a story about Natalie， a strong-willed tween and wheelchair-racer from California， now tossed into a new life in New Jersey， quickly becomes an ensemble piece when she meets a diverse cast of characters while auditioning for a summer musical。 This story caused me to reminisce about my own time in high school drama club， bringing back sweet memories of times shared with my drama club friends。 The relationships between these characters are both timeless and timely and ultimately， the message of the book is that with a lot of drive and a little help from friends， anything is possible。As the characters face several obstacles in their path to getting the show up and running， they learn about their own resilience and the things they can accomplish as a team。 Throughout the story， we see ways in which the characters are both similar and different from one another and how the combination of their strengths is what helps them ultimately succeed。 As the story develops， we also see how the characters change and grow and how one's past doesn't always determine their future。 Overall， this is a story of triumph over adversity， shown through the eyes of a very hopeful group of musical theatre kids。 If you like musical theatre， be sure to check this book out， when it hits the shelves on the 13th of April 2021！ 。。。more
Marilyn
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A wonderful story that relates to young adults， regardless of their personal circumstances。
Eva Leaden
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Such a great middle-grade read！！ Even being 21 I found this story relatable and something I wish I had to read when I was a tween。 I absolutely loved doing plays/musicals when I was in school and I love that this book was about that hobby， one that isn't written about much。 The pacing was perfect and it was the perfect length for a middle schooler。 I would definitely recommend this to so many kids and adults alike。 Such a great middle-grade read！！ Even being 21 I found this story relatable and something I wish I had to read when I was a tween。 I absolutely loved doing plays/musicals when I was in school and I love that this book was about that hobby， one that isn't written about much。 The pacing was perfect and it was the perfect length for a middle schooler。 I would definitely recommend this to so many kids and adults alike。 。。。more
Emily Bush
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Natalie is a normal middle school girl that loves theater， knows every song in most Broadway productions by heart， but doesn’t want to move away from her best friend。 And she just happens to be in a wheelchair。 Natalie moves across the country and instead of wheelchair racing like her parents want her to， she secretly auditions for a local production of Wicked。 While there， Natalie meets a really encouraging， inclusive group of kids that welcome her right away。 As Natalie attends rehearsals and Natalie is a normal middle school girl that loves theater， knows every song in most Broadway productions by heart， but doesn’t want to move away from her best friend。 And she just happens to be in a wheelchair。 Natalie moves across the country and instead of wheelchair racing like her parents want her to， she secretly auditions for a local production of Wicked。 While there， Natalie meets a really encouraging， inclusive group of kids that welcome her right away。 As Natalie attends rehearsals and gets to know her new friends she learns how to speak up for herself and how to fight for what she wants。 The characters are lovable and fun， and are definitely the kind of friends you would want in middle school！ I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to middle grade readers。 Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy。 。。。more
Andréa
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Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。
Jessica
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This book is a perfect story to share with any Broadway loving tweens - or anyone who knows what its like to be on the outside looking in。 The story follows Nat， a girl who wants to be on Broadway but has what most people would see as a limitation。 Nat uses a wheelchair。 Throughout the book， Nat goes through so many life changes that it would make anyone's head spin; but the biggest is moving across the country and starting over。 Breaking away from her "regular" extracurricular activity， Nat tak This book is a perfect story to share with any Broadway loving tweens - or anyone who knows what its like to be on the outside looking in。 The story follows Nat， a girl who wants to be on Broadway but has what most people would see as a limitation。 Nat uses a wheelchair。 Throughout the book， Nat goes through so many life changes that it would make anyone's head spin; but the biggest is moving across the country and starting over。 Breaking away from her "regular" extracurricular activity， Nat takes the leap and tries out for a musical。 Does Nat make the cast？ Will the show go on？ Does she get her chance to fly？ Find out when you read #TheChancetoFly #NetGalley 。。。more
Afoma （Reading Middle Grade）
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The Chance to Fly is a sparkling debut with excellent OwnVoices disability representation。 While this book highlights several challenges that wheelchair users face， from accessibility to minimal face-to-face interaction with their peers， it is at its heart a book about a love for the stage。 Theater kids will be all over this one， as well as anyone who enjoys books about large friendship groups and warm parent-child dynamics。Read my full review on my blog。Thanks to the publisher for an eARC of th The Chance to Fly is a sparkling debut with excellent OwnVoices disability representation。 While this book highlights several challenges that wheelchair users face， from accessibility to minimal face-to-face interaction with their peers， it is at its heart a book about a love for the stage。 Theater kids will be all over this one， as well as anyone who enjoys books about large friendship groups and warm parent-child dynamics。Read my full review on my blog。Thanks to the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rebecca
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I read this book with my niece and absolutely loved it。 As a fan of musical theater though I admit I'm not well versed in it I enjoyed the nod to it。However more importantly was the theme of this book。 As I said I read this with my niece a young girl who struggles with a learning disability。 This book was the perfect read to inspire her。 I love books that encourage not just kids but people in general to chase their dreams。 I love Nat's independent spirit and her need to do what she loves。 The di I read this book with my niece and absolutely loved it。 As a fan of musical theater though I admit I'm not well versed in it I enjoyed the nod to it。However more importantly was the theme of this book。 As I said I read this with my niece a young girl who struggles with a learning disability。 This book was the perfect read to inspire her。 I love books that encourage not just kids but people in general to chase their dreams。 I love Nat's independent spirit and her need to do what she loves。 The diversity in the characters was a nice touch as well。 This book opens a door for not only kids to look beyond their disability but also their parents and adults in their life。We need more books like this that shine a light on what people can do with or without a disability。 。。。more
Denise Forrest
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Nat isn’t happy when they need to move 3000 miles because of her parents’ jobs。 It means leaving her best friend behind and starting again。 As a theatre nerd she is delighted to hear about open auditions for a youth community staging of the show “Wicked”。 Determined to audition， she goes ahead without telling her parents and is delighted to be cast in the show。Nat is a wheelchair user and her difficulties and determination form the main part of this story。 I love to read books where the main cha Nat isn’t happy when they need to move 3000 miles because of her parents’ jobs。 It means leaving her best friend behind and starting again。 As a theatre nerd she is delighted to hear about open auditions for a youth community staging of the show “Wicked”。 Determined to audition， she goes ahead without telling her parents and is delighted to be cast in the show。Nat is a wheelchair user and her difficulties and determination form the main part of this story。 I love to read books where the main characters have disabilities as it is so important that all children and young people get to see themselves in books。 However my main issue with this book， and the reason it didn’t get 5 stars， is that not one of the characters were unkind to Nat。 I was waiting for some snide comments about her disability and they just didn’t come。 The other cast members were all totally welcoming and accommodating; that is how it SHOULD be but it’s not how it is in reality for many disabled people。 Overcoming people’s prejudices is a big part of the problem and whilst Nat came up against access issues in the story， attitudes towards her were a bit too accommodating and inclusive to feel completely realistic。I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Alison
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Honestly， reading this book made me emotional for a multitude of reasons。 It covers a lot of fairly standard MG tropes - main character moves away， has to find new friends， feels like she's drifting away from her "old" best friend etc。 - but tropes are popular for a reason。 They work， if they're done well as they are here。Nat is a great heroine - a normal teenage girl who loves theatre and just wants to be able to do the things she enjoys with her friends。 She just also happens to be paralysed f Honestly， reading this book made me emotional for a multitude of reasons。 It covers a lot of fairly standard MG tropes - main character moves away， has to find new friends， feels like she's drifting away from her "old" best friend etc。 - but tropes are popular for a reason。 They work， if they're done well as they are here。Nat is a great heroine - a normal teenage girl who loves theatre and just wants to be able to do the things she enjoys with her friends。 She just also happens to be paralysed from the waist down， and uses a wheelchair。 She knows there are things she will always need help with， but she wants to be able to push her limits and figure out her own life。 I liked that although Nat's disability has to be involved in a lot of the decisions she makes （a reality for many wheelchair users）， the plot doesn't JUST revolve around her disability。 She's allowed to be a normal teenager with teenage problems。Her new found friendship group is pretty diverse， and while each character doesn't get a lot of page time （this is a relatively short MG novel after all）， their characters are filled in just enough to make them more than just stereotypical tropes on a page。 There are no one dimensional bullies here （even if it did seem like it for a while at the start of the story）。The authors' love for musical theatre shines through on every page， and definitely helped to warm my theatre-loving heart while we wait for them to be able to reopen。 After reading this， maybe Wicked will be one of the first shows I see when we're able to again。 。。。more
Katie
，
I remember saying to myself when I picked up THE CHANCE TO FLY by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz， “I’m just going to read a few chapters，” because I was planning on spreading it out over the course of this week since I had a lot of doctor’s appointments。 😆 How wrong was I？ I finished it one sitting！ I was completely entranced by Nat Beacon’s coming of age story。 I loved every moment of it。 It’s book I wish I would have had when I was 13 years old。 And let me just say how amazing the representa I remember saying to myself when I picked up THE CHANCE TO FLY by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz， “I’m just going to read a few chapters，” because I was planning on spreading it out over the course of this week since I had a lot of doctor’s appointments。 😆 How wrong was I？ I finished it one sitting！ I was completely entranced by Nat Beacon’s coming of age story。 I loved every moment of it。 It’s book I wish I would have had when I was 13 years old。 And let me just say how amazing the representation is in this book - it makes my heart so happy！As a chronically ill， thirty-something theatre and book reviewer， I connected with this book on so many levels。 I can’t even imagine what middle school me would have felt if THE CHANCE TO FLY had existed back then。 Nat Beacon would have been an icon for me。 *An。 Icon。* Please tell me the full emphasis of that statement completely came across？ My hope is that Nat， along with her incredible group of friends， become icons for this generation。 They showed acceptance， curiosity， love， kindness， and how to be good friends at a time when kids are the most vulnerable， which I think is one of most fantastic take away from this novel。 Plus， they showed support - in each other and in Nat - which is so difficult to find。 I loved that they encouraged Nat to follow her dreams。 I teared up because it is such a difficult thing to find a good support system when you are chronically ill / disabled， but when you do， it’s an amazing feeling！This book is an amazing read if you are a theatre lover。 🎭 I enjoyed it and I’m not the targeted age。 I haven’t been to the theatre in over a year and it just gave me all the happy theatre feels of being back in the theatre and bringing up memories of my very first audition。 This is a very important coming of age book - it will definitely be appreciated more if they love theatre - but anyone will love the story as it is an uplifting tale of perseverance and learning to fly！ 🎭Thanks to Abrams for the gifted book！ 。。。more
Joey Susan
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Thank you so much to Abrams Kids/Amulet Books and Netgalley for the earc to read and review。Standing ovation for this beautiful story， this book was refreshing to read a perfect theatrical coming of age story with the protagonist being in a wheel chair。 Seriously why didn’t books like this exist when I was a teenager？ Seeing how easy and natural this was， we need so many books like this in the world。 Representation matters and is vital for others to get to see that。 Natty was such an amazing rea Thank you so much to Abrams Kids/Amulet Books and Netgalley for the earc to read and review。Standing ovation for this beautiful story， this book was refreshing to read a perfect theatrical coming of age story with the protagonist being in a wheel chair。 Seriously why didn’t books like this exist when I was a teenager？ Seeing how easy and natural this was， we need so many books like this in the world。 Representation matters and is vital for others to get to see that。 Natty was such an amazing realistic teen protagonist filled with all the emotion as a teen would have but also filled with determination， bravery， her own identity， strength。 She was seriously so likeable， yes she was in a wheelchair and felt like that’s all people saw about her but she learns that’s not true。 I loved her character， I was excited and rooting for her， I even happy cried for her at the incredible news further in the story。 I loved her so much。 Not only was Natty an incredible character this whole book was filled with an array of characters you couldn’t not sink into and feel close too， like Hudson who was honestly the most supportive and caring friend in the world who saw past her wheelchair and saw the talented girl within it。 Rey， Malik， Jac， Fig， etc， the characters were all amazing in this story。 Savannah Alexis， Chloe both did infuriate me for short bits of the story but you also can’t help but connect with them eventually when you learn more and feel their hearts too。 The characters were fantastically written。 I loved that every single page had theatre in it and， it put the songs in my head constantly， though theatre is so popular now （now I am singing Popular in my head） there is so rarely a story like this written and I cannot say how much I loved getting to read this story。 The fact that Natty took a chance did what everyone around her said that won’t be possible and actually proved them wrong， she showed up， auditioned and knew deep in her heart theatre was her true calling and then blew everyone away。 From the incredible group of friends， to the theatre， shows and songs references， to the representation， to the you can do what you dream of message， to overcoming boundaries and issues， to first crushes， to defying gravity this book is wonderful。 I loved it all so much I wish I knew the right words to say for how much I loved it because I seriously really loved it。 This book is important。 This book is so easy to read， so fun， such an incredible escape， so refreshing， this coming of age story of a theatre loving girl who reaches her dreams and makes life long friends and ultimately who lets nothing stop her or get in her way of having her dreams come true。 。。。more
millie
，
I decided to read this mostly based on the fact that the main character Nat loves musicals but I really loved it。 A truly feel-good story of Nat overcoming friendship issues as she moves across the country， their musical production being shut down and her beginning to develop independence from her parents despite being in a wheelchair。 I really recommend this book and would love it have it in my future classroom library because of the variety of problems it covers that are all important for chil I decided to read this mostly based on the fact that the main character Nat loves musicals but I really loved it。 A truly feel-good story of Nat overcoming friendship issues as she moves across the country， their musical production being shut down and her beginning to develop independence from her parents despite being in a wheelchair。 I really recommend this book and would love it have it in my future classroom library because of the variety of problems it covers that are all important for children to read about。 。。。more
Susie Dumond
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Thirteen-year-old Nat loves musical theatre， but her over-protective parents have kept her from auditioning for a show。 As someone who uses a wheelchair， can Nat participate without getting her heart broken？ But when Nat sees an audition notice for a youth production of Wicked， she knows it's the perfect chance to chase her dream。 Can the director--and the other aspiring actors--see her for the star she is？I don't read a lot of middle grade books， but I saw Broadway star Ali Stroker's name and I Thirteen-year-old Nat loves musical theatre， but her over-protective parents have kept her from auditioning for a show。 As someone who uses a wheelchair， can Nat participate without getting her heart broken？ But when Nat sees an audition notice for a youth production of Wicked， she knows it's the perfect chance to chase her dream。 Can the director--and the other aspiring actors--see her for the star she is？I don't read a lot of middle grade books， but I saw Broadway star Ali Stroker's name and I was all in！ This book was a total delight， especially for someone who loved musical theatre just as much as Nat at thirteen。 Reading about Nat's journey and her lovable group of new friends reminded me just how much theatre shaped me as a young person。 And the character of Nat is so rich and well developed， showing not only the barriers she faces to chasing her dream， but also all the ways she's just like any other kid: brave and scared， trying to find her place in the world。 I loved every page of this book。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Christina
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Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Kids/Amulet Books for the opportunity to read and review this book。 Every middle/intermediate school teacher needs to put this in their classroom。 It has a lot of musical theater references， it shows a lot of inclusion with physical disabilities as well as LGBTQIA+ representation and racial representation in the best way。 There's a ton of musical theater references in here， the most being Wicked my favorite musical of all time。 There is some girl hate involved b Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Kids/Amulet Books for the opportunity to read and review this book。 Every middle/intermediate school teacher needs to put this in their classroom。 It has a lot of musical theater references， it shows a lot of inclusion with physical disabilities as well as LGBTQIA+ representation and racial representation in the best way。 There's a ton of musical theater references in here， the most being Wicked my favorite musical of all time。 There is some girl hate involved but it was solved relatively quickly thankfully。 There's also quite a few things that could date this book such as Snapchat， Kickstarter， etc。 The only issue that I had and it was truly one that would most likely be overlooked by someone who isn't as obsessed with Wicked as I am， it's giving the reference material to 10-13 year olds。 I understand that it can be necessary but that is too adult for those kids to me。 Overall though， I really enjoyed this book and what it represented and would definitely recommend it。 4 out of 5 stars 。。。more
Kimi Loughlin
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MY HEART EXPLODED WHILE READING THIS BOOK！ It was an absolute DELIGHT and also so， so important。 Nat just moved cross country from San Francisco to New Jersey。 She's a HUGE theater fan but has never been in a show。 The thing is， Nat happens to be in a wheelchair and her very caring parents have kept her in activities that are perfectly suited for wheelchair users （ie racing） so as to avoid any heartbreak。 But then while meeting a potential new racing team， Nat spies a flier for an upcoming youth MY HEART EXPLODED WHILE READING THIS BOOK！ It was an absolute DELIGHT and also so， so important。 Nat just moved cross country from San Francisco to New Jersey。 She's a HUGE theater fan but has never been in a show。 The thing is， Nat happens to be in a wheelchair and her very caring parents have kept her in activities that are perfectly suited for wheelchair users （ie racing） so as to avoid any heartbreak。 But then while meeting a potential new racing team， Nat spies a flier for an upcoming youth production of Wicked and she knows she just HAS to audition， no matter her parent's wishes。 She meets new friends and discovers where she is meant to be。As a theater superfan， my heart absolutely melted with the sheer theater-ness of this book。 All the chapters have titles of musical theater songs and the kids literally joke and use theater songs as metaphors （literally， me）。 Nat even talked about how she knew the entire Wicked soundtrack back to front without even seeing it on Broadway which is EXACTLY how I consumed it。 And then there is even discussion of Miscast which is the gala run by MCC Theater where I used to work （though they are not properly credited in the book！）。 I love that Nat found her people and her place amongst the theater kids。 I was never a performer so missed bonding with that crowd until I was older but honestly， theater kids are the same no matter what age they are！Besides the theater-ness， this book was so important because it features a girl living with a disability without centering her disability。 Ali Stroker， one of the co-authors， is a Tony Award winning actress and also a trailblazer as the first person to star on Broadway while using a wheelchair。 Together， she and Stacy Davidowitz touch upon all the ways the world does not support people who use wheelchairs， especially in the theater world。 There were a few things in this book that you have to suspend your disbelief over （in the vein as theater itself as discussed between Hudson and Nat）。 For instance， no one can gets the rights to Wicked right now and definitely not a youth production。 Also， can you imagine a youth production of Wicked？？？！ It is also a bit crazy that the whole production worked out in the end。 Though they touched on all the different roles that go into making a production happen， the fact that the 18 kids that are in the production already were able to do it while still being in the show was insane。 And the cost of any theatrical space is way more than they are letting on。 Any complaints aside， I adored this book and will be recommending it to everybody but especially every theater fan （adult and child， I already excitedly texted many of my theater colleagues）。 It is so important to read diverse books， especially from authors living with disabilities。 。。。more
Rajiv
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[Blog]::[Youtube]::[Twitter]::[Instagram]::[Pinterest]::[Bloglovin] “The Chance to Fly” is an adorable tale that inspires you to follow your dreams no matter what challenges you face。I loved the theme of the story。 The authors have collaborated the plot in a creative manner where you root for Nat on her journey。 I loved how they depicted her disability in a realistic but positive way。 On one side， Nat faces hurdles and has to put a brave front over things that she cannot do。 Nevertheless， tha [Blog]::[Youtube]::[Twitter]::[Instagram]::[Pinterest]::[Bloglovin] “The Chance to Fly” is an adorable tale that inspires you to follow your dreams no matter what challenges you face。I loved the theme of the story。 The authors have collaborated the plot in a creative manner where you root for Nat on her journey。 I loved how they depicted her disability in a realistic but positive way。 On one side， Nat faces hurdles and has to put a brave front over things that she cannot do。 Nevertheless， that doesn’t stop her from following her dreams。Moreover， I loved how lively and supportive the theatre group is。 They accept Nat from the get-go and never say anything rude to her。 More importantly， they don’t pity or feel sorry for Nat and treat her like everyone else。 The way the author wrote this aspect was a breath of fresh air。 Also， I loved the musical theme of the story！ It is clear that the authors share a passion for musicals， and I was thrilled when I read scenes from “The Wizard of Oz，” “Wicked，” “The Lion King，” and “Annie” （which are some of my favorites！）The authors also did a beautiful job in the dynamics between the characters。 Nat and Malik share a beautiful friendship。 I also enjoyed the dramatic moments between Savannah and Nat。 Similarly， Nat and Chloe’s scenes were interesting， and I was curious to know if they could overcome their difficulties。 The author also sweetly wrote about Nat’s parents。 Nat’s parents are overprotective of her， which is understandable， and fear her trying out new things if she cannot handle it。Overall， I thought “The Chance to Fly” was an excellent realistic middle-grade novel that shows you can achieve your dreams if you put your mind and effort into it！ 。。。more
Brandi Thompson
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Thirteen year old Nat， and her mom and dad， end up moving cross country for her mom's new job。 Like any recently misplaced teenager， Nat is anxious about finding her new place， after leaving her best friend， and everyone else she knows， behind。 Nat takes a risk， and lets her theatre loving heart guide her， as she tries out for the musical Wicked， instead of attending her first wheelchair racing practice group。 She gets a part in the summer musical， and ends up learning new life lessons and makin Thirteen year old Nat， and her mom and dad， end up moving cross country for her mom's new job。 Like any recently misplaced teenager， Nat is anxious about finding her new place， after leaving her best friend， and everyone else she knows， behind。 Nat takes a risk， and lets her theatre loving heart guide her， as she tries out for the musical Wicked， instead of attending her first wheelchair racing practice group。 She gets a part in the summer musical， and ends up learning new life lessons and making new friends （and frenemies） along the way。What makes this coming of age novel exceptional， is that our heroine is a disabled wheelchair user。 Because Ali Stroker is also a wheelchair user， we have a wonderful realism to Nat's viewpoint， which is so important for disabled representation。 Nat does run into ableism while spreading her proverbial wings， but she also meets people who love and support her， and help her grow her confidence in many new situations。 I think that this book is a wonderful coming of age story for any disabled person， not just those who use wheelchairs。 The desire for understanding and accommodations for disabled people is a universal need， so this book is very relatable from a general disability standpoint。 Being a theatre nerd myself， I absolutely loved the theatre heavy theme of the book， and all of the references to Wicked and other musicals。 I have cried many times while singing 'Defying Gravity'， and it made me cry while reading it in the book as well！ There were a few small instances that I didn't care for， for example， the character mentioning she was a 34B bra size in her bathing suit。 It felt very unneeded and out of place。 But， those small instances didn't take away from the overall emotional feeling I got from this book， which is why I felt compelled to give it five stars。 This is a wonderful disability representation book， which also included LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC characters as well。 I received this eARC from NetGalley to review。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusNat Beacon moves from California to New Jersey because her mother has a new job as an actuary （so boring！）and her father is the athletic director of the nearby high school。 Nat's not thrilled， because their home in California was more accessible to her wheelchair， everyone knew about the car accident that caused her to require it， and she was on a wheelchair racing team。 When she and her father go to check out the local racing team， she sees a sign for an audition E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusNat Beacon moves from California to New Jersey because her mother has a new job as an actuary （so boring！）and her father is the athletic director of the nearby high school。 Nat's not thrilled， because their home in California was more accessible to her wheelchair， everyone knew about the car accident that caused her to require it， and she was on a wheelchair racing team。 When she and her father go to check out the local racing team， she sees a sign for an audition for Wicked。 Nat is musical obsessed， but her parents think that someone "with her circumstances" won't be able to be on stage。 Without her parents permission， she tries out， and gets cast in the chorus。 She's thrilled to make friends， who are very helpful and friendly （especially the cute Malik！）， and to finally get to perform。 Her parents aren't happy she disobeyed them， but let her work with the group。 There are some hiccups-- at first， the director tells her she doesn't need to be on stage for all of the dances， her father drives her to the camp the group has and gets lost， and the theater the group was using suffers a bad fire。 Nat and her friends look around to find another theater。 Will the performance be able to go on， and will Nat finally get her chance on stage？Strengths: This had all of the things that make up a good middle grade theater novel-- new friends， production details， a little insecurity， and a really big show。 （Okay， if you said that in a certain voice， you've dated yourself！） Nat is a sympathetic character who wants more independence from her parents， who wants to pursue her own dreams， and who is glad to be involved in an activity about which she is passionate。 There are lots of musicals referenced （Does anyone do Oklahoma anymore？ Well， they do The Music Man， which also seems dated）， and Nat clearly loves her stuff。 Having her contact her best friend from back home a lot at first， but then decreasing the frequency was a good addition。 Weaknesses: I would feel better if more middle grade books books focused on practical careers that society actually needs。 That "boring" actuary job？ There are lots of jobs available because it's something society needs。 What I really think: This is an #ownvoices novel; Stroker is an actress who does Broadway and television。 There is not a lot of representation of people who use wheelchairs （Sumner's Roll With It， Johns' Mascot， and Super Max and Ostler's， and Vaught's Bouncing Back are some of the few I've read in recent years。） 。。。more
Jennifer
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This is a sweet book that will appeal to theatre kids everywhere。 Well written from the perspective of a tween girl who uses a wheelchair， by an author who herself is an actress who uses a wheelchair， this is a great example of diverse representation。 One thing I liked is that the story was not really about the character in the wheelchair having issues because of her disability， it was largely about her very typical experiences of moving to a new town， trying a new after-school activity， and mee This is a sweet book that will appeal to theatre kids everywhere。 Well written from the perspective of a tween girl who uses a wheelchair， by an author who herself is an actress who uses a wheelchair， this is a great example of diverse representation。 One thing I liked is that the story was not really about the character in the wheelchair having issues because of her disability， it was largely about her very typical experiences of moving to a new town， trying a new after-school activity， and meeting a new boy。 Her disability and how it affects her life is pretty seamlessly woven into the story， but no more or less important than anything else。 The theatre kid jokes and enthusiasm is very endearing。 。。。more
Melissa See
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I received an E-ARC of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review， so thank you！CW: Ableism， fatphobia （in an instance of dialogue）， and fireTHE CHANCE TO FLY is the book I needed as a teenager， as the disabled theatre kid I was。 And for that reason， I cannot state how much I loved and appreciated the representation （#ownvoices because of the amazing Ali Stroker） of Nat's character。 There was so much nuance in the way she was written because of her being written from Ali's experien I received an E-ARC of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review， so thank you！CW: Ableism， fatphobia （in an instance of dialogue）， and fireTHE CHANCE TO FLY is the book I needed as a teenager， as the disabled theatre kid I was。 And for that reason， I cannot state how much I loved and appreciated the representation （#ownvoices because of the amazing Ali Stroker） of Nat's character。 There was so much nuance in the way she was written because of her being written from Ali's experiences。 I also really loved the side characters， particularly Hudson and Malik， both of whom embrace Nat for exactly who she is in ways I won't spoil！However， I did find that the dialogue seemed too。。。overly-enthusiastic at times？ I know this is a love letter to musical theatre， so dramatics make sense， but there was entirely too much caps lock， both throughout the dialogue and prose。 That， in addition to some reference choices--such as a girl's sister being a sculpture for PETA？--as well as the ending seeming to wrap up a bit too quickly， was what kept THE CHANCE TO FLY from being a 5-star read for me。However， I loved this book for the #ownvoices disability representation it gave kidlit， and I cannot wait for my physical copy to arrive！ 。。。more
Caitlyn DeRouin
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4。5 stars。 Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC！I've been a fan of Ali Stroker since first seeing her on The Glee Project （yes， I went through a BIG Glee phase） and have followed her career since。 When I heard that she was releasing a book I knew that I had to read it。 I don't read much middle grade， but I absolutely loved this book and I think that everyone （especially theatre fans） should read it。The Chance to Fly had me grinning from ear to ear the entire time。 This 4。5 stars。 Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC！I've been a fan of Ali Stroker since first seeing her on The Glee Project （yes， I went through a BIG Glee phase） and have followed her career since。 When I heard that she was releasing a book I knew that I had to read it。 I don't read much middle grade， but I absolutely loved this book and I think that everyone （especially theatre fans） should read it。The Chance to Fly had me grinning from ear to ear the entire time。 This book is a love letter to the theatre。 Nat's honest love and passion for theatre is so beautiful， and in that way， she fully reminded me of myself。 Nat is a wonderful main character。 She's funny， smart， dedicated， kind， loving and above all she is fearless。 I was incredible inspired by her drive and how she would not let anything stop her from achieving her goals。 I loved the whole cast （Hudon was so my favorite though， I love that kid and want to be his best friend）。 My favorite thing was how from the beginning all of the kids welcomed Nat into their circle。 It reminded me so much of the first time I auditioned for a show， everyone had made me feel so welcomed， just like they did with Nat。 It's honestly the best feeling， and really does encapsulate what the theatre community is like。 Nat's new friends always had her back， supported her， encouraged her， and didn't treat her any differently just because she's in a wheelchair。At the end of the book， there's a little interview with Ali and Stacy， and Ali mentions that as a kid she didn't see any media where she was represented。 I love that she has become someone that little girls and boys can look up to and know that their dreams are within reach， they can do anything， they can defy gravity。 I hope that this book inspires others and that we see much more disability rep in mainstream media。 。。。more
Sara
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My 9 year old son and I read this together （an advanced reader copy we borrowed from our local independent bookstore）。。。 we loved it！ We did not catch all the musical theater references most likely， but it has encouraged us to listen to some different musicals and he is now a huge Hamilton fan！ I liked the diversity of the characters in the book - I thought it felt natural and not forced。 I also thought the frenemy to friend relationship was nicely thought out。 We would highly recommend！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Chance to Fly
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Chance to Fly&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Chance to Fly&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0