Written by Caryn Jenner
SUMMARY:
Published by DK Readers in 2003, this forty-nine page 4th Level book is a brief overview of the history of flight dating back to Greek myth and later to the 15th Century efforts of Leonardo da Vinci. The next chapter leaps to 1878, where a young Wilbur and Orville Wright are amazed by a rubber band-powered toy (similar to a toy helicopter). The subsequent chapters explain the Wright Brothers’ progression into adulthood in Dayton, Ohio, where they make a transition from newspaper publishing to a bicycle repair shop. By 1896, after the death of German glider pilot Otto Lilienthal, the two brothers start contemplating a design for their own first aircraft.
Three years of flying experiments ultimately leads to their successful flights in mid-December 1903. Further experimentation allows the Wright Brothers to finally set up their airplane business. It is noted that one of their passengers was the first airplane casualty in 1908. As of 1909, the Wright Brothers were now international heroes. The last few pages detail Wilbur and Orville’s fates, and their contribution to modern aeronautics.
REVIEW:
For its intended young audience, First Flight effectively spells out the Wright Brothers’ contributions to world history. Smartly, DK Readers includes reference to the risks of experimental flight, as a few lives were tragically lost during this era. Still, the book’s best moment arguably is a brief depiction of Orville taking their 81-year old father up for his first-ever flight in 1910. Assuming Milton Wright actually shouted, “Higher, Orville! Higher!,” it really helps sparks one’s imagination visualizing what he must have likely seen and felt at the time. For elementary-age kids, this book should prove an impressive little gem.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There is a single-page glossary and a single-page index.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
