Girls Who Dream of Flying
I love a mighty girl character or real life role model for my girls. These girls all dared to fly at a time when flying was a great adventure. What makes girls daring enough to say “What If … Women Were Aviators?” And how can we encourage this? I’ve picked three books to explore this idea … a picture book, easy chapter book biography, and historical fiction middle grade chapter book. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Picture Book for Girls Who Ask “What If?”
Zephyr Takes Flight by Steve Light
Zephyr, a little girl, loves airplanes. She makes them, plays with them and hopes to fly one day. But no one in her family wants to play airplane with her. When she has a spectacular crash, she is sent to her room … where she finds ways to fly! A girl version of Where The Wild Things Are! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Easy Biography Chapter Book for Girls
Who Was Amelia Earhart? by Kate Jerome
I like this short chapter book biography series with text broken up with illustrations on each page. It gives an honest and thorough overview of her life with lots of interesting details of her life growing up that kids can relate to. [easy chapter book biography, ages 8 and up]
Middle Grade Historical Fiction Chapter Book for Girls
Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl
Beryl Markham, if a half blood (ok, reading a lot of Percy Jackson right now), would have been a child of Artemis. Her true story reads like an adventure heroine of any age but particularly for her time, at the turn of the century. Her life was lived spectacularly, making Amelia Earhart seem tame by comparison. Raised in part by Maori warriors as a tween in Kenya, a female horse trainer, and then a great aviator adventurer. [chapter book, ages 9 and up]
More Great Mighty Girls Books Suggested by Readers
Thank you to readers Maria, Monise, Mel, Alex and Kellye for their great book suggestions for more great Mighty Girl role models. I am especially excited to learn of women of color who were aviator pioneers and yet relatively unknown.
Flygirl by Sherri L Smith (older middle grades) and Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone, which is non fiction about women who tried to become part of the space program.
Another picture book suggestion is ‘Talkin Bout Bessie’ the story of Bessie Coleman, the first black female pilot by Nikki Grimes. Review by Randomly Reading.
Bessie was the first female African American pilot AND the first African American to hold an international pilot license…And it is an inspirational story – education was a luxury back in the early part of the 20th century for many kids who had to earn money to help support their family, but Bessie persevered – walking miles and miles to school, when she could attend, and to pick up and return the laundry her mother did to earn money. from Randomly Reading
I second Mel’s suggestion of ‘Almost Astronauts.’ Also, Tami Lewis Brown’s picturebook, ‘Soar, Elinor,’ is the thrilling true story of Elinor Smith, America’s youngest pilot–girl or boy. The acclaimed ya novel, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth E. Wein, also prominently features a teen girl pilot during WWII.
How about Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee by Marissa Moss. Maggie Gee dreamt of flying as a child. When she grew up, she was one of two Chinese American woman to serve with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) in WW2. It is a wonderful picture book. Thank you to Monise Seward for this recommendation!
Great topic, and lots of great titles here!I Code Name Verity was one of my favorite books read last year, and I especially liked the pilot/engineer Maddie’s voice. I also liked Soar Elinor, Talkin’ Bout Bessie and Almost Astronauts (and the rest of Tanya Lee Stone’s work.)
Amelia Lost, by Candace Fleming, is also a very gripping and well told biography of Amelia Earheart, of the woman behind the myth, chock full of wonderful photos.
Please click on image of book to view more closely at Amazon, or here to see at Barnes and Noble.
Life in Afghanistan for Girls
I love ‘Who Was Amelia Earhart’ – the whole series is awesome. I also love Flygirl by Sherri L Smith (older middle grades) and Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone, which is non fiction about women who tried to become part of the space program
Mel recently posted…AWW Challenge 2013: Week Two
Twitter: subversiveread
Thank you Me! @Adventures of a Subversive Reader! Flygirl sounds wonderful! Adding it to my list!!
Pragmatic Mom recently posted…2nd Grade Math Facts: Free Site
Great topic! Another picture book suggestion is ‘Talkin Bout Bessie’ the story of Bessie Coleman, the first black female pilot.
Twitter: MoniseLSeward
Hi Monise,
I am always looking for people of color book and characters. I’l add Talkin Bout Bessie to this list and look forward to reading it. Thank you for your suggestion!
Pragmatic Mom recently posted…2nd Grade Math Facts: Free Site
I second Mel’s suggestion of ‘Almost Astronauts.’ Also, Tami Lewis Brown’s picturebook, ‘Soar, Elinor,’ is the thrilling true story of Elinor Smith, America’s youngest pilot–girl or boy. The acclaimed ya novel, Code Name Verity, also prominently features a teen girl pilot during WWIi.
Twitter: kelcrocker
Thanks for your great suggestions Kellye! Wow, you have such a great list! I’m adding them to the post as honorable mentions suggested by readers! They all sound awesome!! Thank you for helping to create this list!!!
Pragmatic Mom recently posted…2nd Grade Math Facts: Free Site
How about Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee by Marissa Moss. Maggie Gee dreamt of flying as a child. When she grew up, she was one of two Chinese American woman to serve with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) in WW2. It is a wonderful picture book.
Alex Baugh recently posted…From the Archives #2: The Long Way Home by Margot Benary-Isbert
Twitter: thechildrenswar
Hi Alex,
Thank you for Sky High!!! Sounds like a wonderful picture book and I especially love finding Asian American role models. I’ve never heard of Maggie Gee which is sad because I am Asian American. I’ll add it to my post and will get a copy of the book for my kids! Thank you!!
Pragmatic Mom recently posted…2nd Grade Math Facts: Free Site
Great topic, and lots of great titles here!I Code Name Verity was one of my favorite books read last year, and I especially liked the pilot/engineer Maddie’s voice. I also liked Soar Elinor, Talkin’ Bout Bessie and Almost Astronauts (and the rest of Tanya Lee Stone’s work.)
Amelia Lost, by Candace Fleming, is also a very gripping and well told biography of Amelia Earheart, of the woman behind the myth, chock full of wonderful photos.
Thanks so much Maria for your wonderful book suggestions! I will add them to my list!!!
Pragmatic Mom recently posted…2nd Grade Math Facts: Free Site
I love the picture book Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride about the friendship between Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. It’s best described as historical fiction.
Even in Australia recently posted…Birthday Books and Inscriptions for a 5-Year-Old
I love your list and will continue to add to it this year with STEM titles. Don’t forget to participate in the Women’s History Month kidlit blogs because these titles would be perfect.
Twitter: dianerchen
What a great idea for a list! I really want to read Code Name Verity soon. Meghan McCarthy has a picture book coming out (this year?) about a female daredevil. I can’t remember her name off the top of my head, though!
Twitter: momandkiddo
Hi Mom and Kiddo,
I keep hearing about Code Name Verity too! I want to read it too and thank you for the heads up about the new Meghan McCarthy book! I’ll add it to the list as soon as it comes out (and I figure out what it’s called).
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What an awesome list! I’ll have to look out for these.
Elle Carter Neal recently posted…Revisions
Twitter: ellecarterneal
Hi Elle,
I am so happy to have all the great reader recommendations! It really improved that list! Thank you!
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Just pinned it to keep for later! My girls are still too young for these, but it’s always on my mind that I want them to see and read about strong, amazing women!
Twitter: thefrugalette
Hi Isra,
Thanks so much! Let me know if your girls like the picture book!
Pragmatic Mom recently posted…Meeting Grace Lin at Book Club for Kids Event
I love this list. I have a post in the works for my Things That GO! Series and would love to include this post when I focus on Airplanes. I will be adding many of these books to our library list as I believe it is important for me to read books to my boys that also have strong female characters, not just boys.
Jen Fischer recently posted…Kids Get Arty: Romero Britto
Twitter: indiejenfischer
Hi Jen,
Thanks so much! I would love your link to Things that GO! Series. Thanks so much for including me in your post on Airplanes. I agree with you that girls needs strong role models and books are a great way to expose them. I especially think role models in science, math and engineering are so important as well as other traditionally male dominated fields like aviation. Thanks so much for your comment!
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Fen loved that Who Was Amelia Earhart book. I was excited and read it over and over to her to help her suck some of that awesome bravery into her system. What a great post this is!
Jeanette Nyberg recently posted…Carved Animal Tile Project
Twitter: artchootwit
Thanks Jeanette,
I’d love for Fen to read about Beryl Markham. She’s really remarkable and even more of a pioneer than Amelia Earhart was in her day though they were contemporaries on different continents. Truly, Beryl Markham makes Amelia look like a wimp. I only just discovered her from that historical fiction chapter book. We don’t learn about her in the U.S. since she was a Brit by way of Africa.
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I do do do love biographies, SO inspiring!
Ann recently posted…Snow Surprise
Twitter: DoodlesandJots
Hi Ann,
I especially love finding strong role models for girls. Hopefully, it inspires them that they can do anything they want. Still an issue for girls despite all the work that Feminists have done unfortunately!
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