Way Up and Over Everything

Based on the legendary 'Flying Africans' folktale, this story follows five enslaved individuals who, faced with the unbearable cruelty of their situation, remember the ancient words and power of their ancestors. They literally take flight, rising above the fields and the overseer to return across the ocean to Africa. SENSITIVE TOPICS: The book deals directly with the systemic cruelty of slavery. The approach is a blend of historical realism and magical realism (metaphorical). While the physical reality of slavery is depicted, the resolution is triumphant and hopeful, emphasizing spiritual liberation over physical entrapment. EMOTIONAL ARC: The story begins with a heavy, grounded sense of oppression and labor. However, the emotional weight shifts rapidly as the characters rediscover their internal power. It culminates in a breathtaking, soaring sense of release and wonder. IDEAL READER: An 8-year-old who is studying American history and feels overwhelmed by the sadness of the past, needing a story that highlights Black agency, magic, and resistance. PARENT TRIGGER: A parent might reach for this after a child comes home from school feeling upset or confused by a lesson on the Atlantic slave trade or after seeing news coverage regarding racial injustice. PARENT PREP: Parents should be prepared to discuss what slavery was, as the book assumes some baseline knowledge of the setting. It is best read together to navigate the transition from the harsh reality of the plantation to the supernatural elements of the flight. AGE EXPERIENCE: Younger children (6-7) will focus on the wonder of the flight and the 'magic' of the words. Older children (8-10) will better grasp the metaphorical weight of flying as a form of resistance and the tragic necessity of such an escape. DIFFERENTIATOR: Unlike many books on slavery that focus solely on suffering or the Underground Railroad, this title leans into the oral tradition of African folklore, centering ancestral connection as the primary tool for liberation.