National Aviation Day is on August 19th this year -- this little known holiday is a celebration of all things aeronautics, from the first airplane flight approximately 100 years ago at the ingenious hands of the Wright brothers to the remarkable technological achievements of today. If you have ever been curious about the mystery of flight here are some books to give you more insight into its fascinating past and present.
Written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt
Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
New York: Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2024. Biography.
This picture book biography introduces readers to Mary Myers, an aeronaut and scientist who defied the societal expectations of the 1850s to become a pioneer in the field --deepening our understanding of meteorology and flight. How did she collect this data, you might ask? By soaring into the skies herself in hot air balloons, of course!
By Andrew Nahum
New York: DK Publishing, 2024. Informational. 72 pages.
Covering flight in multiple aspects, from the first airplanes to instrumentation to jet propulsion, any budding flight enthusiast is sure to find something of interest in this general overview on the wonders of flight.
Written by Candy Dahl
Illustrated by Maithili Joshi
New York: Little Bee Books, 2023. Biography.
Known as the First Lady of Parachuting, Tiny Broadwick loved to be up in the sky. Over the course of her life she parachuted over 1,110 times, first from hot air balloons then from planes. Her daring led to the invention and discovery of the parachute rip cord, and her expertise can still be seen in the basic design of parachutes today.
Written by Deborah Underwood
Illustrated by Sam Wedelich
New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book.
A sweet introduction to the process, frustration, and joy of flying for younger readers, told through the lens of a young bear cub travelling with his mother.
Comments