Better than I expected, the author never lets me down! If you find titles that you still don't know, you can read them without even bothering to read the synopsis, success is guaranteed.

“Dreaming of Flight” was another winner by Catherine Ryan Hyde. This book tells the story of Stewie/ Stuart Little, who is a very sensitive eleven year old who has known much loss in his life. He lives with his older sister and handicapped brother. His grandmother (“who wasn’t very nice”) lived with them until she died. Stewie was very close to her and missed her immensely. Through interesting circumstances, he becomes close to an older woman. There is so much more to this story and it is a book I wanted to keep reading but my eyes kept closing! I really enjoyed this book as I have with all of her books.
This is my honest review with my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

A no-brainer 5 stars!

Unbelievable! CRH hits yet another one out of the park. I never cease to be amazed by this author who continues to up her game after 40 plus novels. And she publishes them twice a year no less. Needless to say, she remains as always on my Top Five favorite authors list.

This story is about 11-year-old Stewie Little. Stewie is probably one of those “Highly Senstive People” you read about in today’s psychology self-help section. He never knew his parents and lives with his older brother and sister who struggle to make ends meet. The only adult family member he ever knew was his grandmother Gam, who was “not quite all there.” He loved Gam dearly even though she wasn’t a very nice lady. Stewie promised Gam he would care for her egg-laying chickens till they got old and died. When Gam dies, Stewie takes over the chicken chores. He cares deeply for Gam’s chickens and provides them with loving care. Stewie starts an egg-selling route where he meets Marilyn, a crocthety old woman that reminds him a lot of his Gam. At this point, we settle in for a hallmark CRH tale with a young person, an older person, and life lessons to be learned. Even though I’m an older person too, I love receiving these pearls of wisdom from Ms. Hyde.

The story revolves around Stewie’s highly sensitive nature and his struggles to cope, not only with Gams’s death, but with life in general. He feels it’s unfair that he never knew his parents, lost his only grandmother, and has no other family members but his two siblings. Also, somehow, he thinks it’s his role to help fix things for others, even when it seems impossible to do so. With time, Stewie and Marilyn grow closer, and Stewie takes it upon himself to help Marilyn even when her issues seem unsurountable and her own family won’t help. This isn’t a one-way street though. Stewie gets a lot of help in turn from Marilyn as well as from Dr. Briggs and others that come into his life.

This is yet another feel-good, heartwarming, life-affirming book of wisdom with great depth and poignancy by Ms. Hyde. Don’t be fooled into thinking she simply plugs different characters into the same story time and again. Each CRH book has its own personality and insights to share. TBR shelves are overwhelming for everyone. How do we pick what to read with the little time we have on earth to get through our books? I’ve settled on one thing, and that is to read every one of Ms. Hyde’s books—all 40 plus. What a joy that will be! I highly recommend Dreaming of Flights and all the Hyde books I have read to date to everyone.

I just reviewed Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde. #DreamingofFlight #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published May 3, 2022.

This book was an absolute delight! From the moment I met Stewie selling his chicken’s eggs I was hooked. It’s sweet and funny and sad and heartbreaking and wonderful all at once. All the feels!

The plot centers around sweet Stevie who recently lost his grandmother and how he learns to heal through his relationship with his elderly neighbor Marilyn.

I kinda want to read Stuart Little now. This will make sense after you read the book…😀

I have read a few of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books now and am always floored by the simplicity of the plot, but the incredible warmth and character development she draws from this. In this book, she is uniting two unlikely people into a relationship that has so much value for both of them. I will remember these characters for a long time and could really identify with some of the feelings. I am yet again mesmerized by what was created regarding a boy and his chicken, Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I enjoyed this story by one of my favorite authors. It had believable characters, excellent dialogue, and important messages about feeling our emotions, speaking our truth, and offering kindness to strangers.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a typical Catherine Ryan Hyde story. Very easy to read and went along at a fast pace. I enjoyed this story very much. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for honest review!

We all need a 12 year old Stewart Little in our life. Catherine Ryan Hyde has once again captured all of my attention with her latest book, Dreaming of Flight. She is one of the best story tellers out there and never disappoints!! A fabulous, heartfelt book all around. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A heart wrenching story about a boy who cares too much and the elderly woman who needs his love.

Young Stewie knows the value of hard work and family loyalty. He’s been raised by his older sister since his parents died in a sudden accident and has an older brother with Palsy. Stewie cares for the chickens left behind when his beloved Gam passed away. The chickens are his source of income- he sells their eggs around the neighborhood- but more than that, they are his confidants. There’s a sweet scene where he takes an ailing chicken to the vet and has to defend his pet against an annoying woman, but at the same time it shows how deeply Stewie cherishes his relationships.

When he delivers eggs to a new customer on the lake, Stewie is drawn to the elderly lady who reminds him of his Gam- prickly attitude and all. They soon strike up an unlikely friendship but there’s more to Marilyn than she lets on and when trouble arrives in the form of the police, Stewie is determined to save his friend.

This story touches on Alzheimer’s Disease, which affects one in nine people over the age of sixty-five. It’s a horrible, sad disease that hurts not only the afflicted but their family and friends, as well.

This is a must-read. ❤

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

I went into this not having a clue what it was about except it was a novel by one of my fav authors.
This is my fifth Catherine Ryan Hyde novel; my first was "Brave Girl, Quiet Girl” that I read in May 2020 and I have been a fan ever since!

Stewie Little is twelve years old and lost his parents when he was a baby. He and his brother Theo, who is a few years old and has a disability, were both being raised by their grandmother until she died. Now they are being cared for by their older sister Stacey, a nurse.

Stewie still takes care of his grandma’s chickens. He sells the eggs to neighbors; keeps some money but most goes to his sister for family expenses.
(Note: Although I am a big psychological thriller fan, as a grandma who loved to read not only to my daughters but continued to read to my grandkids ~ totally loved to read children’s & middle school stories.)
I felt that this was a wonderful middle school story but as I read on ~ things got move complicated!)
This story was a total aww for me! Just loved Stewie and I believe you will as well.
This is such an emotional story ~ I totally teared up; but ~~~~ spoiler alert ~~~~ I had a smile on my face at the end!!!
I always love reading the author’s motes or Acknowledgements but this is an early uncorrected copy so not available but I would love to know [author: Catherine Ryan Hyde] motivation in writing this beautiful story.

Want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 2, 2022

Love her books. Always enjoyable. This was no exception. Always a page turner. Definitely will read this again.

I want to thank Catherine Ryan Hyde for a book that touched my soul!
The story of a boy and his chickens and how that connection gave him so much in his life. He has so much loss in his short life and yet he is able to connect Marilyn. This helps him fill a void he has in his life.
The author took her words and wrapped her arms around me with them.
I enjoyed this book so much and I can not wait for others to pick it up and get immersed in the pages.
Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the ARC. This is my personal review.

I'm a big fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books - this one didn't disappoint. I enjoyed how she built the characters. The cranky old woman, the innocent young boy and their friendship was a charming combination. It was a very enjoyable read!

You're home sick from work or school, you're listlessly channel flicking (is that even still a thing??), and you settle on one of those daytime movies. You know, there's a sweet young boy who loves chickens and has a sad story, and he makes friends with at least one crotchety old person, and everyone says things like "well don't rightly know as I do, ma'am" in a slow drawl and just generally uses the word ma'am as basic punctuation.

This book is exactly that. It's sweet and slow as molasses. (I don't actually know what molasses is but it definitely feels like a way to describe a book about people who say ma'am a lot).

I actually read another of this author's books when I was staying at an air bnb and randomly picked it off the shelf and ended up really enjoying it. That one was The Wake Up. I definitely preferred that one, but this one does tick similar boxes - the MC who is endearing and yet seems a little slow on the uptake, the exploring of feelings by one reluctant to open up, a good amount of on page therapy. It's all very... well, daytime movie... but sometimes that's exactly what you feel like.

Stewie was a very endearing character - he definitely seemed possibly autistic based on his characterisation but this isn't spelt out. I almost dropped my rating of this one halfway through, as I felt Marilyn took advantage of him in a way that was quite selfish. However, I did like the way things ended up so I'm sticking with 4/5.

Overall, a very sweet, slow read for when you're in the mood for a sweet, slow read.

This has to be Catherine Ryan Hyde’s best book yet! Beautifully told, as are all her stories, and really gets into the mind of the characters.

Her books have such pathos and sensitivity, each one is a different subject but they all have the same feeling, and features some very unusual relationships – in this case it is a young boy and an old woman who seem on the surface very mismatched!

If this is the first time you have tried her, do read some others!

Dreaming of Flight is the third book I read by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I have become a huge fan of this author's writing style and storytelling. Her characters are all so unique and she's always able to make me care for them. The main characters of this book are Marilyn, and elderly grumpy lady, and Stewie, an eleven year old boy. These two meet when Stewie is making his round selling fresh eggs to neighbors. Stewie feels a connection to Marilyn because she reminds him of his grandma who he lost a couple of years ago. Marilyn is a bit prickly towards Stewie in the beginning, but soon warms up to him even though she doesn't really show it.

Marilyn and Stewie really comforted each other. She became his adopted grandmother, and I enjoyed seeing them spend time together. I enjoyed seeing the growth in Stewie, and the love and support he received from his family. This book was pretty straight-forward and the pace was great. But at the end it had a pretty beautiful ending. This book was inspirational and uplifting, even if it had its sad moments at times. Stewie sometimes really had a lot on his small plate, but he always had the best intentions. His actions showed that you can get things done even if it seems impossible at times. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read other books by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Got eggs? Stewie got eggs! Stewart Little is a 12-year-old boy who lost both his parents when he was a baby. Now he’s cared for by his older sister Stacey, who works as a nurse. He also has a brother Theo, who is a few years older. Theo has a disability, and Stewie finds himself fighting off the bullies who pick on him. Theo tells him to ignore them. But Stewie’s a fixer. He’s always trying to help someone and fix whatever’s wrong in that person’s life.

The thing is, though, Stewie can’t fix his own sadness. He was extremely close to his grandma, and since she recently died, he can’t get over his sorrow. He takes care of her chickens, and he sells their eggs to neighbors. He gets to keep some of the money from his egg route, and the rest he turns over to his sister to help with the family’s expenses.

One day while on his egg deliveries, Stewie meets Marilyn, and she becomes his new customer. She’s not the most gregarious person; in fact, she can be somewhat cantankerous. That may be why Stewie likes her – she reminds him of his Gam. She’s not easy to get to know; the reader understands that Marilyn is hiding something, but Stewie seems unaware. In time, the two become closer, although Marilyn is reluctant to admit this at first, of course.

Once again, Catherine Ryan Hyde has penned another gem that transcends age, gender, and social background. Often, her stories involve an older person mentoring a younger one; this time, it seems the other way around at times, although it is evident that there is a two-way give and take. I love the patience with which she constructs the plot and develops the characters. I admire the gentleness with which she handles their budding relationships. Stewart Little is blessed to have a hard-working, dedicated sister and a brother who understands him. His simple, honest approach to people wins the confidence of Marilyn and all others who encounter him. He may not think he is smart, but once he begins to gain some insights about himself, he is able to extend his innate wisdom to others. Yes, Stewie, you may be only 12, but you are wise beyond your years!

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for allowing me to read an ARC of Dreaming of Flight in exchange for my unbiased review.

I wholeheartedly rate this book 5 brilliant stars!

I am a Catherine Ryan Hyde fan and have read a number of her books. They always have a positive message and usually involve a supportive relationship between a vulnerable child and an adult. This story is no different but for me there is something missing, I found it slow, especially at the start and although I loved Stewie, Marilyn didn't quite ring true for me. The lady we meet at Sylvia's and her actual situation don't quite match up. It is a pleasant story and heartwarming but not as much as her other books and I wasn't convinced that the ending was quite what I wanted for Stewie.

Many thanks to Netgalley who provided me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet story told from the perspective of Stewart Little an 11 year old boy who is smart and curious and looks at the world just as it is. Catherine did such a great job creating Stewies character- you have no choice but to love him. His matter of fact thinking and questions. With no parents, his grandmother recently passed and his brother and sister busy with their own lives and supporting the household he is left mostly on his own. He is taking care of his late Gams chickens and using the sale of their eggs to help his sister with the household bills.
I love the connection that forms between Marilyn and Stewie. They didn't know how much they needed each other and reluctantly each give little pieces of themselves along the way. It is the gate to Stewie learning about himself and Marilyn finding the connection with another that she didn't know she needed so badly.
Stewie struggles to deal with grief and loss and love. All along some fun bumpy situations, police activity, many bus rides and some more loss along the way. Stewie learns how to accept his feelings and deal with his emotions while in his sweet, innocent way connecting with Marilyn and those around her. It's a wholesome book that kept me smiling even though dealing with heavy topics like grief and pain. I felt part of the story, sitting there with Stewie as he figured things out and makes his way.
I would highly recommend this book to read and it would be a great addition to any book club.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Catherine Ryan Hyde for allowing me read and review this book.

What a terrific book about responsibility and dealing with ones emotions. I love the way Hyde deals with life through the eyes of children and how she makes them responsible and caring humans through the interactions they have with adults.

In this story Stewie Little (who is twelve) is selling eggs from hens he received from his grandma, and when he starts to sells eggs to Marilyn (Jean) he finds that she's a lot like his own grandma. He finds that she needs a little looking after because she forgets things and he's worries that something will happen to her. And things do happen to Marilyn (Jean) that makes her return to the nursing home she ran away from and because he takes everything to heart and hasn't dealt with the death of his Mom or Grandma at all, his emotions start to overwhelm him. And because he doesn't know how to deal with what he's going through he ends up going to a Therapist who helps him deal with all that has happen to him and teachs him that what he's dealing with is normal and show Stewie how to put what he's going through into prospective. In the end even though Stewie has experience lost he has also gain more then he expected.

Like most of the stories I've read from Catherine Ryan Hyde the endings are very satisfying and happy even though some saddness has happened. The people who surround Stewie are very supportive and loving and makes him realize that its alright to feel like he does after someone dies and goes away.
I want to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this wonderful story