"Conor Broekhart was born to fly. . . ." Raised on the diamond-rich Saltee Islands under the beneficence of a generous king, Conor dreams of building and flying the first heavier-than-air machine. With the help of his brilliant tutor, who instructs him in swordplay and aeronautics, he begins to design such a craft. Then the power-hungry Marshall Bonvilain, commander of the Saltee army, commits a pair of murders that threaten to destroy Conor's dreams of flight . . . and his life.
Summary Born during his parents’ balloon ride at the Paris World’s Fair of 1878, Conor Broekhart seems destined to become an airman. Knighted at age ten for saving Princess Isabella’s life, Conor begins lessons in combat and flying with Victor Vigny. As part of a murderous plot of betrayal, Bonvilain thrusts Conor into prison on Little Saltee to work in the diamond mines under the name Conor Finn. There Conor’s daring plan for a breakout and escape to America turns him into the Airman. But when Bonvilain discovers the Airman’s true identity, Conor must invent a plan to infiltrate the impenetrable Great Saltee fortress in order to rescue his parents and Queen Isabella.
Topics The Paris World's Fair of 1878. Balloons. Births. Omens. The Saltee Islands. Diamonds. Diplomacy. Technology. Flags. Fire. Kites. Rescues. Tutors. Combat. Heavier than air flying machines. Love. Betrayal. Murder. Cover-ups. Prison. Disguises. Cruelty. Blindness. Mining. Diving bells. Thugs. Survival. Spies. Music. Corruption. Plots. Coronations. Grief. Disappearances. Escape. Sharpshooters. Luck. Gliders. Informants. Strongholds. Reunions. Home. Responsibility. Ambushes. Interrogations. Changes of fortune. Propellers. Honor. Warnings. Poison. Attacks. Anti-air defenses. Test flights. Deception. Saving the day. Departures. Betrothals. Improved designs.
SRC Level 4.400000
SRC Points 15.000000
Lexile 800L
Trim Size 5 1/4" x 7 13/16"
Language English
JLG Release Date Mar 2008
Minimum grade 6
Maximum grade 8
Reading level Middle
Format Print
Upper Middle School Fiction Plus (Grades 6-8)
Upper Middle School Fiction Plus
Upper Middle School Fiction Plus (Grades 6-8)
For Grades 6-8
This collection features fiction titles selected for older middle school readers who are ready for longer, more layered stories that explore growing independence and changing perspective. Selections include realistic and speculative fiction with increased emotional and narrative complexity, offering stories that look beyond immediate experience and invite readers to engage with broader questions about identity, belonging, and the world around them.