Flipped Setting

Mayfield, an American Town, Late 20th Century

If you're looking for an idyllic place to grow up, Mayfield might be just the ticket. It is a fictional American small town, complete with a county fair and its own local newspaper. But here's the catch: Flipped doesn't tell us a ton about this happy little place.

So we need to do some digging. Even though we don't hear much about Mayfield, we do learn about some of its key landmarks, and these places give us some clues about our setting. In fact, these sites are precisely why we think Mayfield sounds like a pretty sweet place to call home.

Juli and Bryce's Neighborhood

Bryce and Juli grow up in a little slice of small-town America, and their neighborhood seems super safe. All the houses have yards and all the kids play outside; Bryce and Granddad get to take a nice walk together—all in all, no complaints here.

And let's not forget about the neighborhood's sycamore tree (may it rest in peace). Hop on over to the "Symbolism" section for more on that.

Sure not everyone loves the big huge tree, but Juli sure does. When she climbs up into the sycamore tree, she's in the perfect setting:

Then I began to notice how wonderful the breeze smelled. It smelled like… sunshine. Like sunshine and wild grass and pomegranates and rain! I couldn't stop breathing it in, filling my lungs again and again with the sweetest smell I'd ever known. (4.34)

Is Juli in the middle of fairyland? Nope—that kind of bliss comes straight from the Mayfield sycamore tree. Take a look (or a whiff?) and check out all the smells Juli lists for us. The tree isn't just a fun place to play or a spot to get a good view—it also smells like paradise, folks. So even though the tree gets chopped down, it reminds us that nature is a big part of this book's setting.

Mayfield Junior High School

Sometimes school isn't exactly Bryce's cup of tea, but at least this junior high is a pretty place to be during the day. The school is super nice, thanks to all those Basket Boys and the Booster Club's fundraising. Just think about what Juli's teacher, Mrs. Simmons, has to say about this part of the setting:

There have been generation after generation of basket boys helping make this campus what it is today. It's why we have flower beds. It's why we have shade trees and a grove of apple trees. Visit another junior high sometime and you'll begin to realize what a little oasis our campus really is. (14.23)

We have to admit, Mayfield Junior High School does sound like a pretty place. This setting reminds us that this town definitely cares about its kiddos. So take some apple trees and throw in some bike baths to school, and you've got a pretty sweet learning environment. Now if Bryce could just get a handle on those spelling tests…