Aviation
Aviation, the activity involving man-made air-borne flying devices, has a long and proud history. Long before the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane at Kitty Hawk humans were experimenting with flight. In Ancient Greece, Archytas, believed to be the founder of mathematical mechanics, designed and built a bird-shaped model called The Pigeon which is thought to be the first artificial self-propelled flying device. Over 2,000 years ago kites were made in China out of silk fabric and bamboo, though they were invented much earlier than that by 5th century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban. The Montgolfier brothers designed the first hot air balloon in 1783 making it the first example of untethered human lighter-than-air flight.
Humans have pursued flight since the dawn of history but only achieved it little more than one-hundred years ago with the Wright Brothers’ first heavier-than-air flight. Since that time the advances in flight have been enormous. Today’s innovations are in alternative fuel, improving speed and precision, military aircraft, and even commercial space-flight.
November is Aviation History Month. Browse the following selections and share the excitement of flight with children of all ages. To find out more visit the following sites:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/education/teaching_resources.cfm
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/index.html
Taken from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation)
Contributor: Emily Griffin
Reviews
A is for Airplane: An Aviation Alphabet
Mary Ann McCabe Riehle
Illustrated by David Craig
Riehle offers a mixed bag, ranging from people like the Wright Brothers and Chuck Yeager (the first to fly faster than sound), to airplanes and machine parts such as the undercarriage or landing gear (pontoons, skis, wheels) or vertical stabilizers, which control the nose of the airplane. In addition, the book explains general concepts such as “flying,” where kids are treated to a display of the Blue Angels that fly in close formation at events and air shows and “zero gravity” to allow future astronauts to experience what it will be like in space. Like the other books in this series, the text is written on two levels--simple four-line rhyming text that is accompanied by several paragraphs of denser text explaining the topic in much more depth. The book can be used by younger students as well as those in the upper grades, although the picture book format and alphabetic approach may not be as appealing to older readers. There is also an upper and lower case letter featured on each of the appropriate alphabet pages. The artwork in this book is really the show stopper. The paintings clearly relate to the subject and provide considerable information by just looking at them. Craig obviously is familiar with and loves everything relating to aviation. Although it is interesting for browsing, this title is not a cohesive look at the subject. 2009, Sleeping Bear Press, $16.95. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781585363582
ISBN: 1585363588
Adventures in the Air
Simon Lewis
As part of the “Difficult and Dangerous” series, this book explores some of the most dangerous airborne adventures in history. It includes chapters about Manfred von Richthofen, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and Steve Fossett and covers the earliest attempts at flying to the most recent record-breaking flights around the world. The illustrations are colorful and exciting, with detailed pictures of the planes. The book includes interactive quizzes that ask the reader what they might do in a dangerous situation. Each page is filled with historical facts, maps, photographs, and quotes from the people profiled. There is a glossary of terms at the end of the book, and suggested websites for further reading and learning. There is some mature content, as some of the people profiled disappeared while in flight, and others fought in fighter planes during war. However, this would be a great introductory book to any reader who already has an interest in planes and flying, or who would like to learn more. 2008, Smart Apple Media, $27.10. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Mary Woo (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781599201610
ISBN: 1599201615
Aircraft
Ian Graham
What is a hover plane? How do ailerons work? What does a plane’s cockpit look like? The answers to these questions and much more information on the inner workings of all types of aircraft are found in this book from the “How Machines Work” series. In this book, all elements of aircraft are described: the types, design, engines, how they take off, steering mechanisms, navigational equipment, and cockpit components. Large colorful pictures of various types of aircraft are accompanied by sidebars labeling the make and model of the aircraft as well as its specifications. Clear diagrams and helpful photographs are used frequently to supplement the information provided in the text. Key words in bold print are defined in the glossary at the end of the book. The book also includes a helpful table of contents, index, and a list of applicable websites. Young aircraft lovers will be fascinated by the depth of information in the text, enthralled with the detailed diagrams, and captivated by the pictures. Graham offers a thorough and appealing description of the mechanics behind a variety of types of aircraft that remains accessible to younger readers. 2009, Smart Apple Media/Black Rabbit Books, $27.10. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Katie DeWald (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781599202921
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
Tanya Lee Stone
Women were not allowed into the U.S. space program until 1978, but talented women lived on the fringes of the program from the early days. Through the efforts of Randolph Lovelace, the chairman of NASA’s Life Sciences Committee, several women were tested for suitability for space travel. The first woman tested was Jerrie Cobb, who more than surpassed the results seen for the Mercury 7 astronauts. Twelve more women had excellent results, but they never got the chance to be trained. More than twenty years after the first manned space flights, Sally Ride became the first woman in space. Another sixteen years passed before Eileen Collins became the first female shuttle commander. The author spends a large portion of the book describing the social and political atmosphere of the time. While this is important, the descriptions feel almost like a distraction. The achievements of these women were impressive in any situation, and their stories should be told. The book is readable and useful as a reference. The author’s research is meticulous, and she includes a good index, numerous photographs and illustrations with credits, references for further reading, available websites, an extensive bibliography, endnotes, and acknowledgments. 2009, Candlewick Press, $17.99. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Sue Poduska (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780763645021
ISBN: 0763645028
Born to Fly
Michael Ferrari
In his debut novel, Michael Ferrari brings Bird McGill to life with the very first lines, “Just ‘cause I was a girl in 1941, do not think I was some sissy. Shoot, I saw stuff that would’ve made that bully Farley Peck pee right through his pants.” Bird dreams of being a P-40 fighter pilot, spreading her wings and pursuing her dreams. What could be better than touching the clouds? It is 1941, and when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Bird’s life changes forever. Bird’s father enlists in the army and is shipped overseas to the war zone. Then Japanese-American boy, Kenji, arrives at school. While other children think he is a spy, Bird is drawn to the quiet, sensitive boy who saves her life on several occasions. This friendship is tested in unusual ways, particularly when Bird is asked to testify at the trial of Kenji’s uncle. Can Bird speak up and risk her own life to share the truth? Kenji and Bird discover a real life spy in their own community who is plotting to destroy the military supplies. Bird realizes these spy activities might put President Roosevelt’s life in jeopardy. Can Bird fly to Providence in time to save the president’s life, or will the course of history change forever? In this exciting story, Michael Ferrari creates a compelling heroine who will inspire and enchant young readers. 2009, Delacorte Press/Random House, Ages 8 to 12, $15.99. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-385-73715-9
Cleared for Takeoff: Have You Got What it Takes to Be an Airline Pilot?
Lisa Thompson
What skills are needed to be an airline pilot? What is in a day’s work? Where can piloting take you? These questions are examined in this forty-eight page picture book. Some of the chapters include types of aircraft, famous pilots, aircraft controls, flight planning, reading the weather, and others. Types of aircraft include jumbo jets, light aircraft, business jets, and military craft. Some famous pilots mentioned are Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. The communication chapter lists the Nato Phonetic Alphabet. Black boxes record several pieces of data such as altitude, air pressure, air speed, fuel flow, temperature, and several other elements. The author also includes a section on steps people should take to become a pilot. Among them are getting a high school education, college education, commercial pilot training courses, and other important requirements. Commercial pilots must also pass a medical examination, have good eyesight, speak, write, and understand English. Black-and-white and color photographs illustrate the text. Back material includes further reading, website information, and a glossary. 2009, Compass Point Books, Ages 10 up, $26.65. Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-7565-4081-4
Cromwell Dixon’s Sky Cycle: A True Story about America’s First “Boy Aeronaut”
John Abbott Nez
At the turn of the 20th century, a young boy named Cromwell Dixon was an inventive tinkerer. In an age of scientific wonders, Cromwell is particularly fascinated by airships. He decides to build one of his own. He designs one powered by a bicycle to enter the St. Louis Airship Carnival. Although some people think he is crazy, Cromwell builds the machine and, with his mother’s help, a gigantic balloon to be inflated with hydrogen to keep his Sky-Cycle in the air. Although the balloon catches fire, Cromwell is not discouraged. He builds another. On August 9, 1907, Cromwell successfully takes to the air over Columbus, Ohio. When the gas begins to escape too quickly, he has to make an emergency landing. He finally wins a prize at the 1907 Airship Carnival. The exciting true story is visualized in ink lines and transparent watercolors with appropriate lightheartedness. The scenes are filled with the detailed look of early 20th century Ohio houses, streets, and clothing, but mainly we see the engaging young Cromwell’s workshop, the amazing machine he is building, and then “snapshots” of his flying. There are additional factual notes, photographs of him and his machine, and a bibliography. 2009, G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin, $16.99. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780399250415
ISBN: 0399250417
The Daring Miss Quimby
Suzanne George Whitaker
Illustrated by Catherine Stock
In the early 1900s, when airplanes looked like “bicycles with wings,” Harriet Quimby scored some firsts, including the first U.S. woman to earn a pilot’s license and the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel. Quimby loved attention as much as adventure and so she designed a hooded, purple satin flight suit that became her trademark. But flying was a dangerous enterprise in those days and she died during an air show at the age of thirty-seven, less than a year after her first foray into the air. Author Suzanne George Whitaker writes, “She envisioned the day it would be possible for women to soar through the skies and have a career in flying if they desired one,” and she did help pave the way for future female pilots and astronauts. This straightforward and entertaining account of Quimby’s flying career portrays a woman who was daring for her time and even ours. Catherine Stock’s pencil-and-watercolor illustrations convey the exhilaration of flight and of Quimby’s fame, as well as the vulnerability of one person alone in a primitive machine high above the earth. If only the vibrant purple of her flight suit were on display in the inside illustrations as it is on the cover. But that is a small quibble for this well researched book, which includes a time line of women in aviation, an author’s note, a photo of the glamorous pilot, suggested websites, and a selected bibliography. 2009, Holiday House, Ages 4 to 8, $16.95. Reviewer: Paula K. Zeller (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1996-8
The Kids’ Guide to Paper Airplanes
Christopher L. Harbo
Summer fun with a single sheet of paper awaits readers of The Kids’ Guide to Paper Airplanes. As an introduction to basic Origami, the book will appeal to both girls and boys since the instructions are easy to follow and lead to creations that actually fly. The introductory chapter presents basic folding techniques and terms and is followed by instructions and tips for eleven different types of airplanes. Some of these include “Classic Dart,” “Stealth Glider,” “Hammerhead,” “Super Plane,” “Angry Finch,” and “Silent Huntress.” With graphically appealing designs and “Impressiveness” and “Complexity” starred ratings on every page, the book also highlights glossary terms related to flying within each chapter. An eight-word glossary page repeats these words. “Read More” and “Internet Sites” pages invite the reader to explore additional paper airplane resources. This book is part of Capstone Press’s “Kids Guides” Series. 2009, Capstone Press, $23.99. Ages 8 to 11. Reviewer: Debra Lampert-Rudman (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781429622745
ISBN: 1429622741
Look to the Stars
Buzz Alrin
Illustrated by Wendell Minor
Buzz Aldrin was part of the first Moon landing and the second man to set foot on the Moon His story is one of single-minded achievement from a family that had a history of interest in aviation. His father was a pilot, and he owned signed pictures of the Wright brothers and Amelia Earhart. With the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing mission coming up, Buzz takes readers back into the past, to his own momentous mission, and then speculates on what the future holds. He starts his story with Copernicus and moves quickly through other great scientists like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton. Readers learn about the Wright brothers, Charles Lindberg, and most startling of all, the fact that only sixty-six years elapsed from the Wright Brothers first successful flight to the landing on the Moon. Did you know that the astronauts took a piece of fabric from that first plane with them? Other scientists who worked on rocketry also made space flight possible. Sputnik was the gauntlet thrown down by the Soviet Union, and the United States raced to keep up and surpass what the Russians had done. The commitment was extensive and involved hundreds of thousands of people and the dedication of enormous resources as well as the establishment of NASA. Manned flight is traced from the Mercury missions to Gemini and the Apollo program--with the missions laid out on a spread that also includes a picture of the lunar module. Aldrin notes that the current focus is on living in space for longer periods of time, now that the space race has finally come to an end with the agreement to cooperate on building the International Space Station (ISS). The primary objective for the immediate future will be unmanned probes which will provide information for the eventual landing on the Moon and the establishing of a base there. Could a trip to Mars be next? Those seeking adventure can dream about being participants in these programs. Along the bottom of each of the pages are quotes from individuals who have had a powerful influence on the space program. Do not miss the Afterword or the timeline that recaps the history of man’s interest in space from Copernicus forward. The closing page contains selected resources and a host of websites for curious minds. 2009, Putnam/Penguin, $17.99. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780399247217
ISBN: 0399247211
My First Book About Airplanes and Rockets
Kama Einhorn
Illustrated by Christopher Moroney
The back cover claims that children love learning, and from what I have experienced that is generally true. This book about flight is part of the Sesame Street nonfiction series entitled "Sesame Subjects." The early history of man's interest in flying and the first successful airplane are quickly addressed. There are also sidebars called Twiddlebug Trivia that contained little gems like noting that Charles Lindbergh was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Grover who is our professor for this subject shows how rapidly flying moved from Lindbergh's accomplishment to producing commercial aircraft used by ordinary people to travel to a vacation destination. In addition to airplanes, there is a look at rockets and spacecraft. The photographs show that men and women are part of our astronaut team. The book closes with a variety of specialty aircraft including sea planes and gliders. The final spread offers instructions for several activities including building a paper airplane. 2008, Sesame Street Books/Random House, Ages 4 to 8, $7.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-375-84321-1
Science and Technology: USA Past, Present, Future
Rennay Craats
Part of the “USA Past, Present, Future” series from Wiegl Publishing, this book gives readers a glimpse of technological and scientific innovations during the last one hundred and nine years in the United States. Starting with the present day and working backwards by decades, the book teaches readers about some of the key discoveries in medicine, space, computers, aviation, and many other areas of our every day lives. Each decade is given its own chapter and covers two to four pages. The key discoveries/innovations of that decade are highlighted in the text and accompanied by full color captioned photographs. A timeline runs across the bottom of the page highlighting additional scientific or technological advances. The chapter concludes with an “Into the Future” box, which asks readers to think about what they have just read and how that technology might be applied in the future. A glossary, index, suggestions for further research both in print and on the web, and an activity to get readers thinking about how they might apply technology to improving some aspect of their everyday lives round out the presentation. It all adds up to a quality product and ideal tie-in to the fourth through sixth grade social studies curriculum. 2009, Weigl Publishers Inc, $29.05 and $8.95. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Pat Trattles (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781590369708
ISBN: 9781590369715
ISBN: 159036970X
ISBN: 1590369718
Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee
Marissa Moss
As Maggie Gee tells her story, when other families went to ball games or movies on Sundays, hers went to the airport to watch the airplanes. Maggie’s favorite pilot and role model was Amelia Earhart. Maggie reports her longing to fly around the world as she also listens to her mother’s stories about her life in China and that of her grandmother there on the farm. When World War II begins, Maggie determines to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Learning to fly is as grand as she had imagined. She goes on missions that are both fun and frightening after she earns her wings. “My family’s stories flew with me, but now I was living out my own true stories.” This factual tale of one of the only two Chinese American WASPs is an inspiring one. Angel’s naturalistic double-page acrylic and colored pencil scenes illustrate the brief text with useful images of Maggie’s family and her flying experiences. He mixes light-hearted pictures of her flying low over a frightened cow with a scene of her biplane looping with a twisted tail of exhaust fumes. Her emotions come through clearly. Additional factual notes and photographs are included. 2009, Tricycle Press, $16.99. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781582462806
ISBN: 1582462801
A Troubled Peace
L.M. Elliott
Local author L.M. Elliott adds another nuanced historical novel to her much-praised canon. This sequel to Under a War-Torn Sky finds bomber pilot Henry Forester home in Virginia but suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. As World War II nears an end, Henry suffers from flashbacks to his capture and escape from the Gestapo in occupied France. And he cannot forget the young French boy, Pierre, who had protected Henry only to lose his own family. The young pilot returns to France to find the orphan amidst the chaos of the crumbling Nazi regime. With our own country currently at war, this compelling book proves especially timely. Elliott vividly captures the turmoil, fear and hope of the times and the sense of trying to pick up the pieces and re-build. “War ends,” she writes in the afterword, “and the battle for peace begins.” 2009, HarperCollins, $16.99. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780060744281
ISBN: 0060744286
For reviews from features for previous years, click on the following links: 2007, 2006
Updated 10/27/2009
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