Taking Flight

Grade 2-4-Children should enjoy this short biography that spans the subjects’ lifetimes. The book not only includes information about the brothers’ interest in flying, but also about the history and science of flight. Quotes from the men’s writings are included. The information is presented in an organized, simplified way, and the large, bold type is easy to read. Each spread includes one or two watercolor illustrations that depict the inventors’ hard work and give a vicarious view of the early 1900s. A serviceable addition for assignments on flight, inventions, or biographies. —School Library Journal, Susan Knell, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS

This well-conceived book from the Ready-to-Read series offers a visually appealing look at the Wright brothers’ experiences with their flying machines. Zeroing in on the years from 1899 to 1903, Krensky sets the scene with comments on the concurrent development of the automobile and the widely held opinion that flight was not in mankind’s future. Short quotations from the Wrights’ letters add detail and immediacy to the narrative. Larry Day’s paintings brighten the pages with their depiction of period settings and events, focusing on the Wright brothers’ experiments. A short, but vivid presentation. –Booklist, Carolyn Phelan