Holiday Gifts for Young Readers (AFW Nov/Dec 2023)
This article was published in the November/December 2023 issue of Aviation for Women Magazine.
We’ve had another wonderful year reading and discussing books across aviation history and genres in the Aviatrix Book Club, where our adventures took us around the world in diverse aircraft types and aircrew roles. It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of our third year on this journey through stories featuring women in aviation together, yet there’s so much left to explore. This November, we’ll launch beyond the stratosphere with Colonel Eileen Collins’ Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars, and we’ll close out 2023 in New Zealand with Death on D’Urville: A Claire Hardcastle Mystery by Penelope Haines. Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to preview our reading list for next year and to find author interviews about all the books we’ve read.
Books are always on my holiday gift lists, especially for the young readers in my life. One of my favorite things about children’s books is that they’re evergreen, with a continuously renewing audience. I also love that giving books featuring women in aviation to young readers does double duty – it simultaneously introduces them to the inspiring world of flying and promotes reading and literacy. This list is a combination of old and new titles spanning a cross-section of aviation historical periods. There are many more you can sort and find on the Literary Aviatrix website.
Early Flyers:
Lady Icarus: Balloonomania and the Brief, Bold Life of Sophie Blanchard by Deborah Noyes – Middle grade biography of Sophie Blanchard, the first woman to earn her living in the air as an aeronaut in late 1700’s/early 1800’s France. Ages 8-12.
Soar Elinor by Tami Lewis Brown – A picture book about ‘The Flying Flapper of Freeport’, Elinor Smith, who flew under all four bridges spanning New York City’s East River in 1928. Ages 4-8.
Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman’s Dreams Took Flight by Karyn Parsons – Picture book biography from the founder and president of the Sweet Blackberry foundation whose mission is to bring the stories of lesser-known African American achievements to children everywhere. Ages 4-8.
Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan – Picture book that celebrates the friendship between Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt, and the story of their spontaneous night flight together in the middle of a formal White House dinner in 1933. Ages 7-10.
WWII WASP:
Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WWII by Sally Deng – Picture book history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Ages 7-12.
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung – the picture book biography of the first Chinese American to fly for the WASP during WWII. Ages 4-8.
Dorothy the Brave by Meghan P. Browne – Picture book biography of WASP Dorothy Lucas. Ages 4-8.
What Grandma Did by Erin Miller – Picture book based on the true story of Erin Miller and her ‘Gammy’, WASP Elaine Danforth Harmon. Ages 5-8.
Contemporary/Timeless:
Cleared for Bedtime by Liz Davidson – Bedtime board book around the airport. Ages 0-7. (Currently only available at www.glaciercrossingbooks.com)
Piper the Pilot by Kathleen Foley – Rhyming adventure for early readers as Piper the Pilot guides Charlie Blue to a lighthouse. Ages 5 and up.
Halfway Home by Erin Mariah Murphy – Rescue dog Zeke has trouble finding a new home when animal air rescue pilot Maeve comes along to help. Ages 4-7.
Into the Storm: The Coast Guard Adventures of Dolph and Gwen by Darcy Guyant – Pilot Gwen leads her helicopter Dolph and crew to the rescue when a vessel sinks offshore. Ages 3-8.
Wishing you all safe and happy holidays, blue skies, and happy reading!
