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On a Wing and a Tear
A living legend roosting in the backyard. An unmissable game. A hair-raising mystery. A road trip full of adventure and danger. And all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation.
Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations, but the friends have become like siblings since the Robertses moved in with the Halfmoons. And they soon welcome a distinguished guest: Great-grandfather Bat, whose wing is injured, has taken refuge in their old oak tree.
A rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game is coming up, with Bat as the star player. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon offers to drive Bat from Chicago down to the traditional playing field outside Macon, Georgia, and Mel and Ray are determined to help out.
Together, they all set off on a road trip—facing adventure, danger, and a hair-raising mystery—on the way to the historic game.
With loving care and boisterous humor, acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) tells a modern folklore story about friendship, embracing the unexpected, and all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Brian Young, and Elana K. Arnold!
Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations, but the friends have become like siblings since the Robertses moved in with the Halfmoons. And they soon welcome a distinguished guest: Great-grandfather Bat, whose wing is injured, has taken refuge in their old oak tree.
A rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game is coming up, with Bat as the star player. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon offers to drive Bat from Chicago down to the traditional playing field outside Macon, Georgia, and Mel and Ray are determined to help out.
Together, they all set off on a road trip—facing adventure, danger, and a hair-raising mystery—on the way to the historic game.
With loving care and boisterous humor, acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) tells a modern folklore story about friendship, embracing the unexpected, and all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Brian Young, and Elana K. Arnold!
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2024
About the author
Cynthia Leitich Smith
34 books1,243 followersCynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and anthologist of more than 20 books for young readers. She was named a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, the NSK Neustadt Laureate, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and winner of the Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and served as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Chair for the children’s-YA writing MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 13, 2024
“The land remembers you.”
I’m a huge fan of baseball, mystery, and road trips. This book has all of those elements.
Upbeat and vibey, this is a fun read.
I’m a huge fan of baseball, mystery, and road trips. This book has all of those elements.
Upbeat and vibey, this is a fun read.
Want to read
June 14, 2024Interconnected to Smith's other books.
September 9, 2024
“The land remembers you.”
🦇
Mel and Ray are from different Indigenous Nations, but have become like siblings ever since Mel and her mom moved in with Ray and his grandpa. When Great-grandfather Bat, an esteemed elder winged-creature with an injury, seeks refuge in their old oak tree, their life becomes interesting. Bat, who can talk, needs help getting to Macon, Georgia so he asks the kids for assistance due to his injury. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon volunteers to take Bat and his squirrel friend so they can play the Great Ball Game rematch. Mel and Ray jump at the chance to spend their Spring Break on a road trip, but dangers and outsiders on the way make this trip a tough one.
🐿️
This was a MG modern folklore adventure story by @cynthialeitichsmith that brings in so much Indigenous culture, mystery, danger, history, and fun. Also pay attention to some Easter eggs from Smith’s other stories sprinkled throughout. Grab this for your upper elementary/lower middle school readers and make sure they utilize the glossary in the back. This title releases September 17!
CW: parental abandonment, death of a spouse (mentioned), parental death
3.5 ⭐️
🦇
Mel and Ray are from different Indigenous Nations, but have become like siblings ever since Mel and her mom moved in with Ray and his grandpa. When Great-grandfather Bat, an esteemed elder winged-creature with an injury, seeks refuge in their old oak tree, their life becomes interesting. Bat, who can talk, needs help getting to Macon, Georgia so he asks the kids for assistance due to his injury. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon volunteers to take Bat and his squirrel friend so they can play the Great Ball Game rematch. Mel and Ray jump at the chance to spend their Spring Break on a road trip, but dangers and outsiders on the way make this trip a tough one.
🐿️
This was a MG modern folklore adventure story by @cynthialeitichsmith that brings in so much Indigenous culture, mystery, danger, history, and fun. Also pay attention to some Easter eggs from Smith’s other stories sprinkled throughout. Grab this for your upper elementary/lower middle school readers and make sure they utilize the glossary in the back. This title releases September 17!
CW: parental abandonment, death of a spouse (mentioned), parental death
3.5 ⭐️
September 21, 2024
If you are lucky, some of the most cherished memories from childhood come from extended family and found family, both who are equal in the heart; Cynthia Leitich Smith beautifully captures this multigenerational bond in her new novel On a Wing and a Tear. Beyond sharing an intimate look at a family dynamic, Smith also shares a fascinating look into how Native people live in the United States today. A memorable and heartwarming road trip brings them all closer together to each other and to the land. On a Wing and a Tear was a captivating book that speaks to readers of all ages and strikes a chord of warmth and nostalgia.
August 22, 2024
On a Wing and a Tear" is a middle grade novel of folklore. It’s where the animals can talk, and Grandfather Bat needs help from his neighbors to get to a rematch of the Great Ball Game.
Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon, are like siblings after she and her mom become housemates with a widower, Charlie Halfmoon, despite their different Indigenous backgrounds. They welcome Great-grandfather Bat into their lives and embark on a thrilling road trip with their injured guest. Grampa Halfmoon, who met Grandfather Bat when he was younger, takes the lead on the trip. So it’s Grandpa, Mel, Ray, (grampa’s grandson), Grandfather Bat and an enthusiastic Gray Squirrel on this adventure together. Along the way, they learn more about their relatives, their Grampa's past, and the Trail of Tears.
Readers will enjoy the humor and warmth of this road trip story involving baseball, silliness, mystery, suspense, history and even a bit of danger.
Best selling Children’s author Cynthia L. Smith is Muskogee and a Cherokee descendant.
This is a unique, fun and noteworthy tale.
Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon, are like siblings after she and her mom become housemates with a widower, Charlie Halfmoon, despite their different Indigenous backgrounds. They welcome Great-grandfather Bat into their lives and embark on a thrilling road trip with their injured guest. Grampa Halfmoon, who met Grandfather Bat when he was younger, takes the lead on the trip. So it’s Grandpa, Mel, Ray, (grampa’s grandson), Grandfather Bat and an enthusiastic Gray Squirrel on this adventure together. Along the way, they learn more about their relatives, their Grampa's past, and the Trail of Tears.
Readers will enjoy the humor and warmth of this road trip story involving baseball, silliness, mystery, suspense, history and even a bit of danger.
Best selling Children’s author Cynthia L. Smith is Muskogee and a Cherokee descendant.
This is a unique, fun and noteworthy tale.
October 16, 2024
This is my first book by Cynthia Leitich Smith (which I'm now regretting because apparently her books are interconnected?!) but it won't be my last. Part road trip, part mystery, this modern folklore story was entertaining and humorous and heartwarming and I really enjoyed it.
November 18, 2024
I’ve been fond of a smooth braid since I wore them growing up. Cynthia Leitich Smith created just that kind of braid with three plotlines threaded smoothly through to a delightful conclusion in her new book, On a Wing and a Tear. The first strand has Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon, who are from two different indigenous tribes, becoming friends when the Robertses become long term house guests with the Halfmoons.
The second strand is the Elder, Great-grandfather Bat, who turns up in their old oak tree with an injured wing. With a bit of a magical element, he talks and lets them know he must hurry to get to the legendary Great Ball Game since he is the star player.
The third strand has the widowed Grandpa Charlie Halfmoon volunteering to drive them from Chicago to the event in Macon, Georgia. Mel and Ray are intrigued, as the reader will be, with the possibility that he will rediscover his high school sweetheart from long ago on the route.
They set off on a trip that becomes filled with humor, unexpected events, a mystery, and that anticipated encounter with Grandpa’s old girlfriend. The story is cleverly braided together and is a good read for the middle graders for whom it was designed as well as people who just love a good story.
The second strand is the Elder, Great-grandfather Bat, who turns up in their old oak tree with an injured wing. With a bit of a magical element, he talks and lets them know he must hurry to get to the legendary Great Ball Game since he is the star player.
The third strand has the widowed Grandpa Charlie Halfmoon volunteering to drive them from Chicago to the event in Macon, Georgia. Mel and Ray are intrigued, as the reader will be, with the possibility that he will rediscover his high school sweetheart from long ago on the route.
They set off on a trip that becomes filled with humor, unexpected events, a mystery, and that anticipated encounter with Grandpa’s old girlfriend. The story is cleverly braided together and is a good read for the middle graders for whom it was designed as well as people who just love a good story.
September 13, 2024
Two kids on a road trip with a grandpa and two talking animals -- a bat and a squirrel. What's not to like?
The goal is to visit family from their indigenous nation families while also transporting the bat elder to an important matchup of Animals vs. Birds.
There are moments of crisis and those of comedy along the way. The route begins in Chicago and heads west on I-80, then south on I-35 into NE Kansas. Those roads are very familiar to me. From Kansas, the route goes into Oklahoma and then SE to the Atlanta area.
In pursuit is a wannabe Youtuber and a mysterious tall, hairy someone. Who could it be?
Cynthia Leitich Smith has given us a family-friendly folklore tale that will warm your heart and remind you of the plight of those who live among us with indigenous ancestors.
Thank you to Heartdrum by HarperCollins and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
The goal is to visit family from their indigenous nation families while also transporting the bat elder to an important matchup of Animals vs. Birds.
There are moments of crisis and those of comedy along the way. The route begins in Chicago and heads west on I-80, then south on I-35 into NE Kansas. Those roads are very familiar to me. From Kansas, the route goes into Oklahoma and then SE to the Atlanta area.
In pursuit is a wannabe Youtuber and a mysterious tall, hairy someone. Who could it be?
Cynthia Leitich Smith has given us a family-friendly folklore tale that will warm your heart and remind you of the plight of those who live among us with indigenous ancestors.
Thank you to Heartdrum by HarperCollins and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2024
This was a fun and unique magic realism road trip journey with a talking pair of animals.
"Folks are more likely to click a video if a dustup than a video of somebody doin' the everyday work to make a better world."
Road trip grandpa and kids taking an injured talking Bat and a talking squirrels south so Bat can catch up on his trip. Bit he gets kid... batnapped. They get him back, and it's time to hit the road again.
Native people and native nations.
Indigenous family. We get little hints and peculiar facts from the locations they cross, fun. Also, reconnection with their culture. Home if her ancestors.
"She was French, Obama, and Muscogee by heritage -- American and Muscogeeby citizenship. (...) The land remembers you."
"Folks are more likely to click a video if a dustup than a video of somebody doin' the everyday work to make a better world."
Road trip grandpa and kids taking an injured talking Bat and a talking squirrels south so Bat can catch up on his trip. Bit he gets kid... batnapped. They get him back, and it's time to hit the road again.
Native people and native nations.
Indigenous family. We get little hints and peculiar facts from the locations they cross, fun. Also, reconnection with their culture. Home if her ancestors.
"She was French, Obama, and Muscogee by heritage -- American and Muscogeeby citizenship. (...) The land remembers you."
November 15, 2024
A gentle adventure with returning favorites Ray and Grandpa Halfmoon, some new friends -- Mel and her mother, Bat, Squirrel, and an epic road trip to ancestral lands for a very special ball game. There are a lot of important, hard truths that recur throughout the story -- reminders of displacements, poverty, the continuous disconnect between Native values and American greed. These are mitigated by the strength of the relationships in the book -- friends, family, newly rediscovered old connections and a surprising ask from the animals. There are some shocking developments, but for the most part it's a slow mellow book full of people and animals who care for one another, with characteristic humor throughout.
August 12, 2024
Thank you to Edelweiss+ for granting me access to this ARC. This is another gem by Cynthia Leitich Smith. I love her "extended universe" with shared characters and stories throughout her books. This one was really fun, basically combining a realistic fiction road trip saga with an animal fantasy story (more folk tale than fantasy though, as CLS writes in her author's note). Her writing is always so earnest and heartfelt, and her devotion to promoting not just her own writing but other Indigenous authors as well is sorely needed in the current landscape of children's literature. Highest of recommendations, in addition to all her other children's books.
September 9, 2024
Great-Grandfather Bat needs to travel from Chicago to the southeast to participate in a Birds v. Animals rematch of a historic game from the past. An injured wing leaves the Bat in need of some human help and he’s been recuperating in a tree next to the home of Ray, his Grandpa Halfmoon, and friends Mel and her mom who are sharing housing with them. Grandpa, the kids, and the animals set off on an epic road trip with some madcap adventure and lots of loving and helpful support from family along the way. Muskogee and Cherokee history are seamlessly incorporated. EARC from Edelweiss.
September 14, 2024
When Great Grandfather Bat needs to get to the rematch of the Animals vs Birds game but has a tear in his wing, Ray and Grandpa Charlie (from Indian Shoes) jump right in to help. Joining them on the roadtrip is Ray's friend Mel and Gray Squirrel. As they travel across the country they stop to see family and friends, have a few mishaps, and meet some helpful (and not so helpful) strangers. This was a great road trip novel exploring family, heritage, and how we fit in the world. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss & NetGalley
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss & NetGalley
September 17, 2024
An excellent middle grade road trip novel. Not only is it filled with adventure, but it has an added bonus of talking animals. The humans, who are Native American, have to help, great grandfather Bat get to the legendary ball game. Along the way, the humans learn and reconcile loss and change that is just part of growing up. There is one complete hilarious point of view from Chewy the dog that I particularly adored.
August 24, 2024
An absolutely beautiful and very fun story of a group of indigenous peoples going on a road trip to deliver a bat to play in a years in the making rematch ball game between birds and animals. It’s original, has so much imagination but even more heart. A wonderful book I will be buying for my classroom library
ARC from NetGalley in return for honest review.
ARC from NetGalley in return for honest review.
October 11, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Ray,Mel and Grandpa Halfmoon go on a road trip to see family but also to help Great Grandfather Bat get to the great ballgame in time. They also have the Buttinskys chasing them as well. The kids learn that time can heal wounds and sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing until you find it.
August 25, 2024
I got an early copy of this and it is a truly beautiful book. It made my heart sing. The characters were engaging, the Native culture was beautifully and powerfully written, and I just wanted the story to go on and on. Highly recommend.
October 15, 2024
A road trip story that connects family, different generations, friends, a talking squirrel, and a talking bat. Enjoyed reading this chapter book for tweens. A fun tale with an adventure thrown in for good measure. Includes some Native American history too.
August 20, 2024
This was a really cool read and I blew through it in a few hours!
June 6, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ray Halfmoon, who is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, lives with his grandpa Charlie in the Albany Park of Chicago. For the last year, they've had Mel Roberts and her mom, Susan, who are both Muscogee citizens, sharing their bungalow while Susan teachers at the university. Unbeknownst to Ray, the fabled Great Grandfather Bat, of traditional folklore, is recuperating from a wing injury in the yard. Ray loves to draw, and is very interested in Cub's baseball. Mel is glad to be living in Chicago, and gives an excellent presentation at school about the Trail of Tears. As spring break nears, two unusual things occur. Grandpa Charlie reconnects with an old girlfriend, who is a friend of Susan's, and Grandpa Bat approaches Ray and talks to him! He needs to travel to a rematch of an animal versus bird baseball game, and would like his old friend Charlie to help him get there. Gray Squirrel would like to go as well, and the area where the game is most likely being held isn't too far from where Georgia, the gradfather's old flame, lives. Since it's almost spring break, Ray is willing to miss going to the first Cub's game to take Grandpa Bat to the game. Of course, the group runs into trouble right away when Midas Buttinsky, who's trying to have a social media presence, hears the talking bat and steals him. The Halfmoons and Mel follow Midas to Iowa City, and Gray Squirrel manages to rescue his friend. Of course, any road trip has problems; a policeman is suspicious of the group when they are in a park late at night, the truck breaks down, and when Charlie meets Georgia, a dog gets loose in the restaurant. Midas manages to sneak a GPS unit into the cardboard box that Bat travels in, but this causes him to go out of his way when a relative borrows Charlie's truck to go to a bridal fitting in Texas. With Midas and his sister hot on their trail and eager to use Grandpa Bat for their own evil purposes, will Ray and his group manage to get to the site of the game in time?
Strengths: I loved Leitich Smith's note at the end of the book explaining how the different characters in the book appear in her other books; cousin Rain is from Rain is Not My Indian Name! There are a lot of historical sites visited in the group's travels, and there is a fair amount of historical information about the Trail of Tears. The family connections and cultural practices support the story of the ball game, and make it seem a little more likely that Ray has a bat and a squirrel talk to him. The budding romance is sweet. Road trip books are always fun, and it's always more interesting to travel with grandparents, as in Cooney's Hit the Road, McVoy's Drive Me Crazy, Stone's Clean Getaway, Cavanaugh's When I Hit the Road, Acampora's How to Avoid Extinction, or the with uncles in Bradley's The Road to Wherever .
Weaknesses: Talking animals are a one of my least favorite middle grade tropes. I love Grandpa Charlie, but I don't think it was strictly necessary to kill off both of Ray's parents in a tornado when he was a baby.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like animal adventures where the animals talk to humans and interact with them, and I can see this being a popular choice with fans of Pennypacker's Pax, Parry's A Wolf Called Wander, Carter's Coo, or Rimington's The Elephant's Girl. There are not very many fantasy books with Native American cultural connections, so this was good to see.
Ray Halfmoon, who is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, lives with his grandpa Charlie in the Albany Park of Chicago. For the last year, they've had Mel Roberts and her mom, Susan, who are both Muscogee citizens, sharing their bungalow while Susan teachers at the university. Unbeknownst to Ray, the fabled Great Grandfather Bat, of traditional folklore, is recuperating from a wing injury in the yard. Ray loves to draw, and is very interested in Cub's baseball. Mel is glad to be living in Chicago, and gives an excellent presentation at school about the Trail of Tears. As spring break nears, two unusual things occur. Grandpa Charlie reconnects with an old girlfriend, who is a friend of Susan's, and Grandpa Bat approaches Ray and talks to him! He needs to travel to a rematch of an animal versus bird baseball game, and would like his old friend Charlie to help him get there. Gray Squirrel would like to go as well, and the area where the game is most likely being held isn't too far from where Georgia, the gradfather's old flame, lives. Since it's almost spring break, Ray is willing to miss going to the first Cub's game to take Grandpa Bat to the game. Of course, the group runs into trouble right away when Midas Buttinsky, who's trying to have a social media presence, hears the talking bat and steals him. The Halfmoons and Mel follow Midas to Iowa City, and Gray Squirrel manages to rescue his friend. Of course, any road trip has problems; a policeman is suspicious of the group when they are in a park late at night, the truck breaks down, and when Charlie meets Georgia, a dog gets loose in the restaurant. Midas manages to sneak a GPS unit into the cardboard box that Bat travels in, but this causes him to go out of his way when a relative borrows Charlie's truck to go to a bridal fitting in Texas. With Midas and his sister hot on their trail and eager to use Grandpa Bat for their own evil purposes, will Ray and his group manage to get to the site of the game in time?
Strengths: I loved Leitich Smith's note at the end of the book explaining how the different characters in the book appear in her other books; cousin Rain is from Rain is Not My Indian Name! There are a lot of historical sites visited in the group's travels, and there is a fair amount of historical information about the Trail of Tears. The family connections and cultural practices support the story of the ball game, and make it seem a little more likely that Ray has a bat and a squirrel talk to him. The budding romance is sweet. Road trip books are always fun, and it's always more interesting to travel with grandparents, as in Cooney's Hit the Road, McVoy's Drive Me Crazy, Stone's Clean Getaway, Cavanaugh's When I Hit the Road, Acampora's How to Avoid Extinction, or the with uncles in Bradley's The Road to Wherever .
Weaknesses: Talking animals are a one of my least favorite middle grade tropes. I love Grandpa Charlie, but I don't think it was strictly necessary to kill off both of Ray's parents in a tornado when he was a baby.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like animal adventures where the animals talk to humans and interact with them, and I can see this being a popular choice with fans of Pennypacker's Pax, Parry's A Wolf Called Wander, Carter's Coo, or Rimington's The Elephant's Girl. There are not very many fantasy books with Native American cultural connections, so this was good to see.
August 8, 2024
I love a road trip story! I will add this to my suitcase & passport challenge that includes other lovely road trip adventures. I enjoyed the "found" family relationships of the main characters. I also enjoyed connecting with their Native roots as they traveled across the country. I was not expecting the talking animals, but that quirk became a cute little part of the misadventure. The author explained it well-it is a fiction, not a fantasy. Think of it as a modern day fable. I'm on board.
June 15, 2024
I have been searching for a book like this - a contemporary Native story for the younger side of middle grade. There is so much to love in the book. A road trip, a fantastic grandpa, two families building a new family together with such grace and care, a tight little mystery with some authentic buffoons. Smith adds some Native culture and history with such a deft touch - readers will learn a lot, but it won't feel like a lesson. The bat and squirrel story line adds some fun fantasy to the story without feeling forced.
I hope lots of readers find this gem. Readers of Christine Day's contemporary Native stories will find a lot to like here.
I hope lots of readers find this gem. Readers of Christine Day's contemporary Native stories will find a lot to like here.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews