Airborne by Kenneth Oppel is an adventure that takes place in Paris in the late 1930's when airships dominated the skies. The author, Kenneth Oppel, wrote this book to inspire people not to be afraid of challenges. Airborne won numerous awards, including the Governor General's Award and the Ruth Schwartz Award. The story begins with Matt Cruse, a 15 year-old cabin boy who works aboard a 900-foot luxury airship called the Aurora. Aboard there he befriends a girl called Kate De Vries. Suddenly a group of air pirates, led by Vikram Szpirglas, ransacks and deflates the Aurora, escaping just in time. The Aurora crashes. Together, Kate and Matt must search for survival and discover something amazing that is more formidable than they imagine. What will be the outcome of Matt's adventure? Find out the end by reading Airborne.

The book's message is don't be afraid to take chances. Matt and Kate discover a cloud cat, a newly discovered species. They had these choices: either live and leave the cloud cat as it is or risk your life by getting slashed to pieces by the cloud cat and take a picture of it that would change the zoological world. Of course, Kate chose the most dangerous and irrational choice.

What I liked about the book was how the author made the story weave together so fluently. I think Matt, the protagonist of the story, is the most valiant and heroic in the novel because he is loyal to his crew, his family and friends and thinks more for his friends than himself. What I learned about the book is not to be afraid of heights because fear may turn into fascination. I recommend this book to anyone that is willing to go on an adventure because this book is full of it. I also recommend this book to the ones that want to get lost in another world of imagination.