Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America
by Steve Sheinkin (Author) Bijou Karman (Illustrator)
From New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Award recipient Steve Sheinkin, Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America is the gripping true story of the fearless women pilots who aimed for the skies--and beyond.
Featuring illustrations by Bijou Karman.
Just nine years after American women finally got the right to vote, a group of trailblazers soared to new heights in the 1929 Air Derby, the first women's air race across the U.S. Follow the incredible lives of legend Amelia Earhart, who has captivated generations; Marvel Crosson, who built a plane before she even learned how to fly; Louise Thaden, who shattered jaw-dropping altitude records; and Elinor Smith, who at age seventeen made headlines when she flew under the Brooklyn Bridge.
These awe-inspiring stories culminate in a suspenseful, nail-biting race across the country that brings to life the glory and grit of the dangerous and thrilling early days of flying. From Steve Sheinkin, the master of nonfiction for young readers who expertly unraveled the infamous story of whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and the impeachment of Richard Nixon, comes the untold story of fearless women who dared to fly.
This title has common core connections.
A 2020 ALSC Notable Children's Book
Also by Steve Sheinkin:
Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Which Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward Expansion
King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution
Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War
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School Library Journal
Gr 5-8--Using a collected biographical approach, Sheinkin presents the history of early American aviation and the changing role of women in society, culminating in the Women's Air Derby of 1929. Women made up a small percentage of pilots in the 1920s, and societal norms prevented them from competing in air races until the 1929 derby. The 20 women who participated in the derby came from all walks of life. Most Americans recognize the name Amelia Earhart, but Sheinkin introduces many other female pilots, including Marvel Crosson, Ruth Elder, Bobbi Trout, and Pancho Barnes, who all took part in the daring and fearless days of flight in its infancy. Flight races were particularly intense for spectators and participants alike as the inherent danger usually meant that at least one pilot died per race. While women received the right to vote in 1920, the facade of female frailty was still a widely held belief in 1929 and used to justify protesting the all-female air derby that stretched from Santa Monica, CA, to Cleveland. The question of sabotage, engineering design flaws, and interpersonal relationships made an inherently difficult undertaking exponentially more dangerous for all the pilots in the 1929 derby. VERDICT Sheinkin's thorough research and attention to detail make the era come alive for readers. Fans of Keith O'Brien's Fly Girls will greatly enjoy this book. Highly recommended for all middle school libraries.--Susan Catlett, Green Run High School, Virginia Beach
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
In this riveting account, Newbery Honor author Sheinkin (Bomb) introduces 20 American pilots who flew in the 1929 Women's Air Derby, from Santa Monica, Calif., to Cleveland, Ohio. How the women deftly handled weather, accidents, fires, exhaustion, and far too many chicken dinner banquets are among the accounts. Even threats of sabotage, scorn from the media, and sexual discrimination failed to dissuade the determined flyers from crossing the finish line. Pilot Marvel Crosson, who lost her life in the race, wrote that she had given her all to proving that "women are the best pilots in the world." Later forming the first organization of women pilots, playing important roles in WWII, and setting speed and endurance records, these pioneering aviators also inspired future pilots, including astronauts Sally Ride and Linda Godwin. Historical photos and Karman's realistic drawings bring to life famous women, such as Amelia Earheart, along with lesser-known flyers. With immediacy and vivid detail, Sheinken's thoroughly researched account of these daring women will capture the imagination of contemporary readers. Ages 10-14. (Sept.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Above all, Sheinkin makes the Derby pilots' passion for the sky so contagious, even a white-knuckle flier's heart can't help but soar. — The New York Times
*Born to Fly is full of emergency landings, nail-biting finishes and (probable) acts of sabotage; when there isn't an archival photo to capture a moment, Bijou Karman's unpretentious line art fills in the gaps. —Shelf Awareness, starred review
*[S]oaring past boundaries. — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
Sheinkin is a history writer of unusual gumption and no shortage of nerve. Born to Fly is a real barn burner. — Shelf Awareness
Undefeated
A model of research and documentation as well as of stylish writing that tells an always absorbing story. —Booklist, starred review
A thoroughly engrossing and extensively researched examination of football's first 'all-American.' —School Library Journal, starred review
Most Dangerous
Easily the best study of the Vietnam War available for teen readers. —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
The Port Chicago 50:
Sheinkin delivers another meticulously researched WWII story. —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Bomb:
This is edge-of-the-seat material. —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
The Notorious Benedict Arnold:
American history is brought to life in this engaging story of revolution and treason. —School Library Journal, starred review
Steve Sheinkin is the acclaimed author of fast-paced, cinematic nonfiction histories for young readers, including The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights, The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery, and Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. His accolades include a Newbery Honor, three Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, a Sibert Medal, and three National Book Award finalist honors. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children.
Bijou Karman is an artist and illustrator from Los Angeles. She graduated with Distinction from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Bijou is inspired by nostalgia and a love of print and bright colors. She spends most of her time working on illustrations for editorials, books, and advertising, but also works in gouache to create paintings centered around fashion. She has illustrated How to Dress by Alexandra Fullerton, What Would Boudicca Do? by E. Foley and B. Coates, and the covers of the Penguin Classics editions of books by John Steinbeck and Iris Murdoch.JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
JNF023000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Girls & Women
JNF057010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Transportation | Aviation
United States
Women air pilots
Air pilots
Airplane racing
