Books like Flight of the Doves

One of the most satisfying experiences a human being can have is reading a book to one of your children that you read (and loved) as a child. I discovered "Flight of the Doves" when I was a teenager. I remember how it caught my imagination. A 12-year-old boy, in an attempt to protect his gentle, innocent little sister from an abusive step-father, runs away with her. He is trying to get to a village with a name he doesn't know in a country that is not his own. His grandmother lives there and he has foggy memories of her from when he was young. The odds are against them. Not only does he not know the way, but his step father learns of a legacy left to the children (after they ran away) and is motivated to bring them home. The police are on the hunt, rewards bring other adventurers after the children. What really warms the book is how people step in to help the children, some knowingly and others in ignorance. The boy is no superhero and knows he will fail without the help of others. The Doves' flight is very human and grounded. There are no green screens, explosions, violence, or sex--just two children who want a chance to find someone who loves them and find love and kindness amid their adventures on their way there. My daughter blessed me by loving the book as much as I did. She reads as well as I do, but it was great reading this out loud with her.