BEACH WEEK - First Flight

I've been so busy enjoying the beach and so many other fun activities this summer that my blogging has ebbed. To make up for it I’m offering a flood of history that has happened at the beach...

TITLE: Will and Orv

AUTHOR: Walter A. Schulz

WHO WAS AT THE BEACH? This book details the day of the Wright Brother’s first flight through the eyes of Johnny Moore, a young Outer Banks native, who was, in fact, a witness to this historic event.

WHAT BEACH AND WHEN? The Wright Brother’s chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to test their flying machines because the wind blew everyday, the sand made for a soft landing and there were no trees or rocks to run into. Their first successful flight occurred on December 17, 1903.

WHAT HAPPENED? Johnny had gotten to know the Wright Brothers over the three summers they had come to Kitty Hawk to test their flying machines. In 1903 they stayed beyond summer to test their big glider with a motor they called the “Flyer.” The author tells the story of this historical day from the perspective of Johnny, starting with him leaving his house in the morning and ending with him celebrating the first successful flight later that day.

Your child will gain knowledge about not only the motor and propellers, but also the relationship between the Wrights and the locals, who often helped them. This book also drives home the point that the Wright Brothers developed the first method to enable an engine powered aircraft to go up, down and turn all with the Wrights own hand-made parts. These and other details are offered in a nicely paced little story that was first published in 1991, but has the charming qualities of one from the 1950’s.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: If you have money to spare and lots of patience, make a replica of the Wright Brothers Plane with Legos. This set for collectors is selling for upwards of $200! Or, for more feasible fun, try this Wright Brothers coloring page from another post.

Flying Through Geography

Maybe it’s because we live in Florida and we don’t have dreary days without end, but my kids do not invest much time in playing board games. Then lo and behold, Ryan got Take Off! out the other day and we were all reminded of what a fun game it is. The object is to be the first to fly your plane through the two hemispheres, landing at airports hither and yon as you go. This is a fabulous way of familiarizing yourself with all the nooks and crannies in this world as you fly across the LARGE laminated map. It's just PLANE fun!

An Interview with Bessie Coleman

Instead of writing a report on Bessie Coleman, Shannon opted to write her own questions and answers for an interview. She had fun playing the part and learned a lot too. And without further ado, here’s Bessie...

Tuskegee Airmen - Wind Flyers

Wind Flyers is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. It tells the story of a young boy's love of flight leading him on a journey to war torn skies, and then home again with a lasting pride in his accomplishments.

The author includes a note that explains how these segregated squadrons came to be, and how Tuskegee, Alabama produced six hundred pilots and 145,000 support personnel.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: Children between 8 and 17 interested in flying can become a Young Eagle and receive a free local airplane ride. Here are the details.

Women on the Wing

When I first met my husband he was in the process of getting his private pilot license. So I can appreciate the work that goes into learning to fly. I can also appreciate the feeling of freedom that comes with taking off from the ground in a little plane and climbing up into a big sky full of possibilities. Where do you want to go? It's in the joy of flight that I can relate to two great American aviators. But in their drive and determination to push themselves to their limits they are both way, way out of my league. They are Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman. Both of these pilots of the female persuasion are the subject of lots of books at my local library. From these titles I recommend the following.

Who Was Amelia Earhart? by Kate Boehm Jerome, is a well organized account of Amelia's life. It's a little book that is generously illustrated with friendly pen and ink drawings and just the right amount of text. An occasional page acts as a fact filled sidebar about other events occurring during Amelia's life: The World’s Fair, The Wright Brothers, the Women's Suffrage Movement and The Great Depression. And, as if that isn't enough, the book ends with an information packed timeline. It's a quick but thorough account of Amelia's life, perfect for book reports or for just getting to know Amelia.

Ages 9-12
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I was already familiar with Amelia so I really loved getting to know Bessie Coleman in Fly, Bessie, Fly. She is the epitome of what I tell my children, “Don't say you can't, say ‘how can I?’” She was born five years before Amelia into a hard Texas life of Jim Crow and cotton picking and a fatherless home. But she was always determined to be somebody. In her twenties she moved to Chicago and it was there that she decided to become a pilot, only to discover that no one in this country would teach a colored man or woman to fly. Instead of giving up, she found out she could get her license in France and commenced to saving money and learning to speak French. When she returned from France in 1921, the only black woman in the world licensed to fly, she was a star.

This book has a nice pace and crisp, full page, watercolor illustrations. It's a story definitely worth sharing.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: Draw your own bi-plane with these step by step directions.

FREE FRIDAY — Hot Air Balloon Clip Art —

Click here for this free hot air balloon clip art.

The Wright Brothers and the Wright Sister

This book has the three main ingredients for a scrumptious read: a unique perspective, a great voice and pleasing illustrations. My Brothers' Flying Machine provides insight into the Wright family through the eyes of Orville and Wilbur's devoted sister Katharine. A really charming way of showing how the Wright Brothers evolved from boys into the inventors of flight, and the part Katharine played in that process. We loved it.

Ages 6-9
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Activity: Use your crayons to commemorate the first flight with this Wright Brothers coloring page.