The Flyer Flew!: The Invention Of The Airplane (On My Own Science)

Gr. 2-4. As in Dennis Brindell Fradin's With a Little Luck: Surprising Stories of Amazing Discovery (2006), for older readers, this title in the On My Own Science series combines biography with history-making breakthroughs. Short, basic sentences and simple words introduce Wilbur and Orville Wright, beginning when they open a bicycle shop and begin to experiment with gliders. Subsequent chapters follow their forays into flying machines, concluding with the thrilling flight at Kitty Hawk. Hill ably conveys complex physics concepts such as lift in mostly clear explanations, which are extended in color diagrams. Students writing reports about the brothers may need to consult additional sources for more biographical detail, but this title offers a compelling view of the engineering feats, a welcome approach for the target audience. Also suggest Louise Borden's Touching the Sky: The Flying Adventures of Wilbur and Orville Wright (2003) and Timothy Gaffney's Wee and the Wright Brothers (2004). Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Grade 2-4–This brief chapter book begins in 1892, explaining that the Wright brothers, who loved inventions, ran a bicycle shop and read about the flight research by German flier Otto Lilienthal. When he died in a crash, the men decided to continue with his research. The author explains the various steps they took to create and test a flying machine. Terms such as pitch, air pressure, glider, and elevator are explained in the text and in a glossary. An afterword talks about the scientific research method that the Wrights used. The writing is easy and interesting, and the text is in large print. The illustrations, some full page, are in muted watercolors but the faces are painted with clear expressions and details that add to the quality of the book. This biography would make a useful starting point for classroom discussion on the Wright brothers or the scientific method.–Heather Ver Voort, Wilson Middle School, Natick, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.