News & Reviews

News:

Thank you to the Bankstreet College of Education’s Children’s Book Committee for naming Flying the Dragon a book of outstanding merit on their 2013 Best Children’s Books of the Year list!

Thank you to the International Reading Association for naming Flying the Dragon an Intermediate Fiction Honor Book on their Children’s and Young Adult Book Award 2013 List!

Many thanks to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center for including Flying the Dragon on their CCBC Choices 2013 List.

Flying the Dragon was nominated to the 2013 Notable Children’s Books Committee Discussion List  by the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children).

Thank you to the New York Public Library Committee for including Flying the Dragon on its Children’s Books 2012: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing!

Flying the Dragon has been chosen for the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2013-2014!

An October 2012 Featured Title on the Girl Scout Studio

A Summer 2012 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick

Reviews:

“A quiet, beautifully moving portrayal of a multicultural family.”
~ Starred review from Kirkus 

“Lorenzi offers an empathetic and quietly affecting fish-out-of-water story.”
~ Publishers Weekly

Readers will rejoice in the story’s triumphant ending and will come away with a surprising knowledge of rokkaku kite battles, as Lorenzi integrates Japanese language and cultural elements seamlessly into the narrative. With its broad appeal for both boys and girls, this title is a solid choice for middle grade audiences.
~School Library Journal

“This poignant and heart-warming story made me laugh, cry, and cheer along with the children. Highly recommended!”
~ Laura Resau, award-winning author of The Queen of Water, Star in the Forest, and What the Moon Saw

“Natalie Dias Lorenzi’s Flying the Dragon was such an unexpected treat. This middle-grade novel captivated me from beginning to end and touched me deeply.”
~ Word Spelunking Blog

“Lorenzi writes only what is needed to convey the story’s truth, and the result is close to perfection.”
~ Secrets & Sharing Soda Blog

“I liked how I learned about the Japanese culture from this book and how different cultures act with each other. … It is definitely a book I would read again.”
~ Erik from This Kid Reviews Books Blog

“Well-written and entertaining, while dealing with matters of substance.”
~ AsianMommy.com

“The healing of old family wounds, interesting information about the ancient sport of rokkaku kite fighting, and the subtleties of Japanese customs and folkways further enrich this lovely, spiritually uplifting story about being caught between cultures.”
~ Jama’s Alphabet Soup

“…a lovely story that I think young people will enjoy. It’s got cultural elements, a cool hobby (kite flying and fighting), nice families, and issues that everyone can relate to (jealousy, family, change, and illness).”
~ Helen’s Book Blog

“This debut novel is beautifully written and full of empathy for the immigrant experience, and for the history that tears families apart even when everyone means well.  I predict that Lorenzi has a bright future writing high quality, thoughtful juvenile fiction.”
~ Jenny’s Book Review

“Flying the Dragon is a great book to read in mother-daughter book clubs where the girls are aged 9 to 12. Issues to discuss include cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan, family conflict, ethnic identify, grief and more. I highly recommend it.”
~ Cindy Hudson, Mother Daughter Book Club

“Usually when I read a novel with multiple perspectives, I immediately gravitate towards one narrative, breezing through the other sections until I return to my ‘favorite.’ Not so with Flying the Dragon, as Hiroshi and Skye’s struggles were both compelling, their personalities both entrancing.”
~Jen Petro-Roy, StackedBooks.org

“This will be a fun book to sell to middle school readers and as a bonus, there are great crafts that can be used in conjunction with it (kites! Japan!). This is a book of connections and Natalie Dias Lorenzi impressed me with her thoughtful story.”
~YA Librarian Tales

“Many of the readers who pick up this book will be unfamiliar with rokkaku, or Japanese fighting kites, and explanations could’ve easily bogged down the storyline. However the author gives the reader a clear, fun and visually appealing  basic understanding of rokkaku.”
~The Happy Nappy Bookseller

“When the book is over, readers might just want to flip back to page one and start this story over again.”
~Author Pat Zietlow Miller 

A ‘”middle-grade must read” that “glides its way into your heart with the grace and beauty of a kite dancing on the wind.”
~A Writer’s Notepad

“I was mesmerized from the first page.”
~ Natalie Aguirre, Literary Rambles

“Flawless writing, nuanced storytelling, and reverence and respect for diversity make this book a treasure.”
~ Masala Reader

“The author does a wonderful job crafting a middle grade story that will open the eyes for many readers about a culture other than their own.”                                                                                 ~ The Write Path

“I am in awe that this is Lorenzi’s debut novel. I wish there were a William C. Morris Award, not just for YA authors, but for middle grade authors as well.”
~ Mary Lee Hahn, A Year of Reading

“The rivalry between the cousins is marvelous; the family dynamics and sheer force of individual personalities is why anyone should read Flying the Dragon.”
~Omphaloskesis 

“First-time novelist Natalie Dias Lorenzi writes a tender story about cultural disconnect, even in one’s own family.”
~ BookDragon, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program

“A story about family, forgiveness, and friendship, readers will be pulled into the world of rokkaku kite battling as if they were flying their own kites.”
~Carmen Oliver, ReaderKidZ