# Can someone ID this book for me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567 "2007-07-05T05:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567/1 "2007-07-05T05:55:33Z")
It’s about a group of kids that build a flying raft, for lack of a better term, and refuse to descend back to the ground until their parents conform to their wishes. I think there might have been some sort of a social moral involved. It has been many years since I read this, it’s probably considered a book for pre-teens IIRC. Thanks in advance to the person that nails it. [sub]Usually these types of threads get a correct response within the first one or two replies, because Dopers tend to kick ass like that.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567/2 "2007-07-05T05:58:41Z")
The first thing I thought of was [The Wreck of the Zephyr](http://www.amazon.com/Wreck-Zephyr-Chris-Van-Allsburg/dp/0395330750), but I don’t think that’s quite what you’re looking for. I’ll try to dig some more. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567/3 "2007-07-05T06:51:03Z")
[QUOTE=Hung Mung] The first thing I thought of was [The Wreck of the Zephyr](http://www.amazon.com/Wreck-Zephyr-Chris-Van-Allsburg/dp/0395330750), but I don’t think that’s quite what you’re looking for. I’ll try to dig some more. [/QUOTE] Not it. Thanks for the effort though. We’ll find it soon. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567/4 "2007-07-05T15:15:45Z")
Pippi Longstockings? ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567/5 "2007-07-05T16:28:58Z")
Well, there’s a flying raft, of sorts, in William Pène du Bois’ _Twenty-One Balloons_. There are kids and parents, too. That’s about the extent of the similarity, though. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567/6 "2007-07-06T04:47:35Z")
I’m pretty sure the platform or raft had propellers that kept it afloat if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-id-this-book-for-me/410567/7 "2007-07-25T04:41:32Z")
Last bump, then thread dies.