Prepare to be swept up, up and away on this high-flying adventure from the queen of historical fiction, Emma Carroll!

Winner of the Teach Primary Book Award 2018

Shortlisted for the Young Quills Award 2019

Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Award 2019

'Carroll, an unstoppable, natural storyteller, lets her imagination take off.' THE TIMES

'Soaring flight and the power of friendship are to the fore in this gripping historical adventure.' THE GUARDIAN

Orphan Magpie can't believe her eyes when she sees a boy swept off his feet by a kite ... or something that twists and dances in the wind.

Like her, the boy – Pierre – dreams of flying over the rooftops of Paris. His family, the Montgolfiers, are desperate to be first to discover the secret of flight.

The world looks so different up high and suddenly Magpie knows what she wants – to be the first to fly in a balloon above the King and Queen of France ...

• From the bestselling historical fiction author of books including Secrets of a Sun King, When We Were Warriors and Letters from the Lighthouse


• Discovery meets imagination in this rich and inspirational tale based on the true story of the first hot air balloon flight over Paris in the eighteenth century


• An enchanting story of history, adventure, science and facing your fears