History Literature / HowILearnedToFly

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: In the book of Flying Lessons, it mentions that the ability for human flight involves three things: the daring to try, an imagination that soars, and a good mixing bowl.

It is one of the nineteen original series books that was not adapted into [[Series/{{Goosebumps}} the TV series]].

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** Basically the premise of the whole fallout after the world finds out that Jack and Wilson have the ability of human flight. Instead of them thinking it as some cool adventure, the government treats them as test subjects and will not leave them alone.
** Additionally, this results when Jack and Wilson perform their flying race in front of the school. Instead of being highly congratulated, the students are all shocked. In fact, Jack notices how some of them are even afraid of him because they kept avoiding him in the hallway afterwards.

** Again, the second time Jack flies away from home and arrives back again, he could hear his father mention that he searched everywhere and did not know where else to look. But it turns out that he was actually talking about looking for a client whom is willing to look for him.

** When flying for the first time, Jack returns to home just as his parents arrive. He tries to land in the backyard to avoid them seeing him, but his father then announces that he saw something. It turns out that he thought he spotted a condor, which his mother replied that they are rare.

* BaitAndSwitch: When flying for the first time, Jack returns to home just as his parents arrive. He tries to land in the backyard to avoid them seeing him, but his father then announces that he saw something. It turns out that he thought he spotted a condor, which his mother replied that they are rare.

* JawDrop: The police officers whom offered Jack a ride home on the freeway react this way when he suddenly takes off out of there. They even jump out of the car in shock.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Basically the premise of the whole fallout after the world finds out that Jack and Wilson have the ability of human flight. Instead of them thinking it as some cool adventure, the government treats them as test subjects and will not leave them alone.

* YouAreNotReady: After doing the odd gymnastics and making the weird recipe, Jack turns the next page in the Flying Lessons book, and finds a passage telling him that he is about to embark on a glorious adventure. It then asks the reader if he or she is ready. Jack answers yes repeatedly. The passage then reads, "You are wrong. You are not ready. Turn the page." It then reveals that he simply has to empty enrichening powder in an accompanying envelope into the mixture.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: While on his second flight around California, he ends up landing very far from Malibu and encounters two police officers. He thinks that he can get a ride home and asks them for one. But when they start asking him questions and tell him to get in the car, Jack realizes that this was a bad decision, so he takes off from the ground and flies away, much to the astonishment of the officers below.

* AdultFear: The book teaches readers that sometimes fear isn't found with ghosts, monsters, vampires, aliens from other planets, or freaky creatures. It can be found in people who want to exploit others' talents, obsessed fans who hound celebrities, and government agents who want people for scientific study.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Despite implications that the flying formula had supernatural powers from the back cover blurb, the story has no traditional horror elements or monsters. Instead, it is scary in the real-world sense, a story about the price of fame and competition, showing that talent is often exploited by the greedy (Jack's father is an agent who puts his son in cheesy car commercials when he learns that his son can fly while Jack's rival, Wilson, has his own tv show), how celebrities can be "trapped" because of constant media attention and obsessed fans, and the government wanting to know the secrets of AppliedPhlebotinum for the good of the country (allegedly). It plays out more like a supernatural satire on the burden of being a celebrity and American's society obsession with success and being famous. Even the usual twist ending is a positive one.

* ValentinesDayEpisode: A portion of the book is set on the birthday of a girl who was born on Valentine's Day. The book also happens to be one of the few that is focused on romance.

* ComedicUnderwearExposure: While playing Twister at the birthday party, Jack has to stretch his legs unusually wide to get to a spot on the game cloth. This causes [[WardrobeMalfunction his shorts to rip open, exposing his briefs]]. The rest of the party explodes with laughter (including Mia, who shrieks with laughter), and Jack almost rushes out of the house because of this if she had not convinced him to stay (which turns out to be only for a brief moment).

* PuppyLove: A rare instance of a love triangle (between Jack, his rival Wilson and their crush Mia) featuring prominently in the story.

* SmugSnake: Wilson.

* {{Bowlderise}}: The 2018 ebook alters Jack's story about a past client of his dad's, removing references to her being "crazy" and a "real nut".

* JawDrop: The police officers that offered Jack a ride home on the freeway react this way when he suddenly takes off out of there. They even jump out of the car in shock.

[[quoteright:341:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fly_4.png]]

* CompetitionFreak: Wilson Wilson Wilson. The real plot of the book is kicked off when he insists on having a flying race with Jack, exposing their abilities to the world and ending their normal lives as they know them.

** The same thing happens to Mr. Grossman, the coach in charge of the race that Wilson put together in front of the school. He just takes at them both, utterly speechless.

* StunnedSilence: To announces to the world that he and Jack could fly, Wilson asks Mr. Grossman to organize a race between the two boys in front of all the students at Malibu High School. And after they perform, there was no clapping or cheering at all. The children all just stare at them, shocked.
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Basically the premise of the whole fallout after the world finds out that Jack and Wilson have the ability of human flight.

Jack Johnson is tired of constantly being shown up by his frenemy Wilson Schlame, and both of them are constantly competing for the attention of Mia Montez, the cutest girl in their class. One day after a humiliating experience at Mia's birthday party, Jack finds a book with instructions on how to ''fly'', along with a questionable magic dough to eat. Finally, something Wilson can't do! Unfortunately, not only can Wilson fly too, but RealityEnsues and the burden of having a superpower soon catches up to the boys.

'''Wilson:''' Sorry to have to beat you in front of two billion people!\\
* BaitAndSwitch: When flying for the first time, Jack returns to home just as his parents arrive. He tries to land in the backyard to avoid them seeing him, but his father then announces that he saw something. It turns out that he thought he spotted an osprey, which his mother replied that they are rare.

* CatUpATree: One of The neighbors announces that her kitten is stuck up on a high branch and will not come down. This prompts Jack and Wilson to race up the tree to try and get it, again, to impress Mia. Jack almost grabs the cat, but he ends up falling and landing in the arms of Wilson, much to his utter embarrassment. Even more so when Wilson was the one who ends up saving the kitten.

'''Wilson:''' Sorry to have to beat you in front of two billion people!

* ParentalNeglect: Jack's parents. They do love him but they refuse to take notice of how miserable they're making their son's life after they find out he can fly and start using up all his time to film tv commercials and won't even let him leave the house unless he's wearing the cheesy superhero costume that he wears when filming commercials.

* AlliterativeName: Jack Johnson and his crush, Mia Montez.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:With Wilson stuck with the burden of celebrity, Jack resumes his normal life and finally gets the girl. But he can still fly, although no one else knows.]]

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: This book has no traditional horror elements or monsters. Instead, it is a story about the price of fame and competition, and even the usual twist ending is a positive one.

Jack Johnson is tired of constantly being shown up by his frenemy Wilson Schlame, and both of them are constantly competing for the attention of Mia Montez, the cutest girl in their class. One day after a humiliating experience at a birthday party, Jack finds a book with instructions on how to ''fly'', along with a questionable magic dough to eat. Finally, something Wilson can't do! Unfortunately, not only can Wilson fly too, but RealityEnsues and the burden of having a superpower soon catches up to the boys.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Wilson humiliates him one too many times at Mia's birthday party, Jack runs out of the house in frustration.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: When Jack is about to eat a hot dog, Wilson decides to eat a foot-long instead.