Parents' Guide to

Flight #116 Is Down!

By Monica Wyatt, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Hardly a classic, but still a riveting adventure.

Flight #116 Is Down! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 11+

One of my favorites

I first read this book in middle school and I still love it. It's impossible to put down, realistic, and with really compelling characters. I strongly recommend it, but keep in mind that it's about a plane crash- there are injuries and deaths abound, described in detail. Not for a faint-hearted or nightmare-prone child, I suppose.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
age 18+

vdvsdgvdg

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (11):

An entertaining melodrama, this adventure novel is a good choice for reluctant readers. It doesn't have much literary merit, but it is terrific entertainment with a good message. The characters must all let go of some ingrained ideas they have about themselves, and in giving up these falsehoods, they mature. The story features both male and female leading characters, so both boys and girls will be able to identify with at least one of them and imagine themselves stumbling through the wet forest, frantically trying to save injured passengers.

Book Details

  • Author: Caroline B. Cooney
  • Genre: Contemporary Fiction
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publication date: January 1, 1992
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
  • Number of pages: 201
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate