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Aaaanybody?
"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~MadrugadaNo, this was deinitely a book. The "flight suit" was a birdwing design.
"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~MadrugadaI think I might've read some Bruno And Boots, but if Wikipedia is any indication, none of those involve flying suits. I remember the flying suit most clearly because it was depicted on the cover.
"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada^^ There is a novelization of Young Sherlock Holmes. I don't know of any edition with a cover depiction as described, but that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't one.
It wasn't Sherlock Holmes-related. This story was set in the modern day as of the time of the writing (which might have been the 80's, possibly early 90's)
"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugadahi, i ain't read it, but this looks appropriate
http://io9.com/5820980/darius-green-the-boy-who-launched-steampunk
I'm bumping this ancient thing because, after many long months, I found it. It's called Dear Mon, Get Me Out Of Here! by Ellen Conford.
"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada

A book I remember reading as a kid. It was about a kid who goes to a boarding school for the first time. His new roommate is a crazy kid inventor type of guy, and his main project (as I remember it) was a weird "flight suit" type of thing that would allow him to fly. I believe he crashed it into the bushes.
The cover of the book depicted the two kids in front of the school (which was old-fashioned looking), with the kid in his suit. It was a "bird wing" type of thing combined with a full-body jumpsuit.
Edited by FreezairForALimitedTime