A Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People From the very first days of aviation, women were there. Katherine Wright, though not a pilot, helped her brothers Orville and Wilbur so much that some called her the "Third Wright Brother." Pioneers such as Baroness Raymonde de Laroche of France ignored those who ignorantly claimed that only men possessed the physical strength or the mental capacity to pilot an airplane, and in 1910 became the first woman awarded a license to fly. A year later, Harriet Quimby was the first woman to earn a pilot's license in the United States and in 1912 flew across the English Channel-another first. Author Karen Bush Gibson profiles 26 women aviators who sought out and met challenges both in the sky and on the ground, where some still questioned their abilities. Read about barnstormers like Bessie Coleman and racers like Louise Thaden, who bested Amelia Earhart and Pancho Barnes to win the 1929 Women's Air Derby, sometimes called the Powder Puff Derby. Learn about Jacqueline Cochran who, during World War II, organized and trained the Women Airforce Service Pilots-the WASPs-to serve their country by ferrying airplanes from factories to the front lines and pulling target planes during anti-aircraft artillery training. And see how female pilots today continue to achieve and serve while celebrating their love of flight.

 

 

This book is part of a book series called Women Of Action .

This book is aimed at children at US 7th grade+.

This book has been graded for interest at 12-17 years.

There are 240 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2020 by Chicago Review Press .

Karen Bush Gibson: Karen Bush Gibson is the author of more than 30 nonfiction books for children and a member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators. One of her books about women aviators was named a 2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People by the NCSS and a selection in Air & Space/Smithsonian`s Best Children's Books of 2013 roundup of aviation and space-themed books. She wrote Marine Biology: Cool Women Who Dive for Nomad Press. Karen lives in Norman, Oklahoma.