Fly Like an Eagle [Hardcover]

Barbara Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1994

Horace (Ace) Hobart has his summer all planned: He and his girlfriend, Raven, will each get a part in a Broadway show, and when they're not busy with rehearsals, they'll hang out with friends in New York.

But Ace's father, Barney Hobart, has a different notion about what this summer will hold. He's decided that this is the summer when he'll "find his bliss" -- he'll head west to trace his roots and learn more about who his parents were and why they placed him in an orphanage shortly after his birth.

When Ace and his dad set out on the road in their beat-up yellow Volkswagen, Ace expects to have a long and boring summer. But ultimately, Ace's road trip leads him to a surprising and unforgettable destination.


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-9-As in Ace Hits the Big Time (1982) and Ace Hits Rock Bottom (1987, both Dell), the strength of this story is in its memorable characters. In this new episode, Ace accompanies his father, Barney, who is on a cross-country search for his roots after revealing to his children that he is adopted. They drive from New York City to an Ohio orphanage and from there to Kansas City, where Barney Hobart's birth grandmother resides. During a brief stay with the eccentric woman, a former trapeze artist, and her twin sister, Barney learns that his birth father is a Pueblo Indian, and the duo continue their "hero's journey" to New Mexico. There, they meet their long-lost relatives, and are warmly received and ultimately initiated into the clan. Ace remains an engaging individual with enough zaniness and routine bumbling to endear him to readers. Murphy treats the emotional issues of adoption and father-son relationships with warm sentimentality and humor. With numerous references to characters and situations from the previous books, this story is best read in sequence.
Tim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. Ace, as in Ace Hits the Big Time (1981), is back, but this time, his problem isn't the Purple Falcons but his 40-year-old dad, Barney. When Barney Hobart decides to follow Joseph Campbell's advice and discover his "bliss" by searching out his natural parents (he was adopted at a very young age), he enlists Ace to accompany him on the quest. In a beat-up Volkswagen, the two, who have never been close, set off, first to the Ohio orphanage where Barney was placed as a child, then to Kansas for an encounter with Barney's spunky grandmother and her twin sister, then to a New Mexico Pueblo, where Barney and Ace meet their new, extended family. There are a few good laughs (though this is not nearly as funny as Ace's premier appearance); Ace is his likable self; and Murphy has created a bunch of engaging supporting characters. But there's not much tension in the story: things are resolved with incredible ease and more than a little sentimentality--as well as a touch of Robert Bly. What the book does best is to show the importance of family. Ace learns to love and respect his dad by the story's end; he grows comfortable in the circle of his new family and, at the same time, more sure of his place in the old. Stephanie Zvirin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1St Edition edition (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385320353
• ISBN-13: 978-0785762515
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,830,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a pretty good book, and also well written., May 18, 2000

By 

Vanessa Ovian - See all my reviews

This review is from: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE (Laurel-Leaf Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

Fly Like an Eagle is about a teenager named Ace whose father takes him on a road trip across the country to try and find his (Ace's) real grandfather. Ace's dad was left in an orphanage after his mother died, and is now determined to find his birth father. At first Ace isn't too keen on the idea of leaving his home and spending his summer in a yellow Volkeswagon, but his father takes him on a trip he'll never forget. To find out what happens, read Fly Like an Eagle. You might be surprised.:)

3.0 out of 5 stars This was an OK book, April 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Fly Like an Eagle (Turtleback)

The book Fly Like an Eagle is not very exciting and does not have any action, and that is what I like in a book. That is why I rated it a three. If the book had more action and more exciting parts, I would have liked it better. The book was not as bad as some books I have read but it was not great either. I like the book because he cheats on his girl friend while he is on his trip.