Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine

by Heather Lang, Raul Colón (Illustrator)

Overview

Discover a thrilling moment in history when pioneering aviator Ruth Law attempted to do what no other aviator had done before: fly nonstop from Chicago to New York.

On November 19, 1916, at 8:25 a.m., Ruth Law took off on a flight from Chicago to New York City that aviation experts thought was doomed. Sitting at the controls of her small bi-plane, exposed to the elements, Law battled fierce winds and numbing cold. When her engine ran out of fuel, she glided for two miles and landed at Hornell, New York. Even though she fell short of her goal, she had broken the existing cross-country distance record. And with her plane refueled, she got back in the air and headed for New York City where crowds waited to greet her. This story is perfect to share during Women's History Month or anytime during the year!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620916506
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	03/01/2016
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	212,274
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Heather Lang is the author of The Original Cowgirl: The Wild Adventures of Lucille Mulhall and Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman, Olympic High-Jump Champion, selected for the Amelia Bloomer Book List. She lives in Lexington, Massachusetts. Visit heatherlangbooks.com.

Raúl Colón is the illustrator of over thirty books, including the New York Times bestselling Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt. He is the recipient of two Pura Belpre Awards from the American Library Association. He lives in New City, New York.

Editorial Reviews

Colón's etched autumn-colored illustrations are especially lovely, adding a hushed beauty to a naturally stirring story.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

12/14/2015
In November 1916, Ruth Law added three extra gas tanks to her small biplane and attempted a one-day flight from Chicago to New York City. Colón’s etched artwork, glowing in autumnal yellows, shows Law flying above the Midwestern landscape (her vessel may remind readers more of their own bicycles than of modern planes). Law’s quiet confidence allays harrowing moments, and although she didn’t reach New York City before nightfall, she took off from Binghamton, N.Y., the following morning, eventually circling around the Statue of Liberty and being welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd. Lang (The Original Cowgirl) keeps the focus on Law’s determination, while a closing description of “icicles dangl from her hair” is a visceral reminder of the daring of her feat. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Morgan Gaynin. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book

★ "(A) magnificent, long overdue flight from history straight into the present." —Booklist, starred review

★ "Lang builds suspense with comparisons and questions…. Back matter includes photographs and further biographical details. Colón’s harmonious palette is comprised, appropriately, of blues, yellows, and greens; his signature etched lines provide additional energy.... this title underscores the pilot’s achievement and conveys her exhilaration." —School Library Journal, starred review

"Lang's portrait commemorates the centennial of Ruth Law's record-breaking flight from Chicago to New York….Effectively employing short, staccato phrases, Lang creates a riveting, "you are there" narrative…. Colón's rich compositions…use a primary palette of gold and charcoal brown, with layers of turquoise for water and sky….A well-crafted tribute to a fascinating aviation pioneer." —Kirkus Reviews

"Colón’s etched artwork, glowing in autumnal yellows, shows Law flying above the Midwestern landscape… Lang keeps the focus on Law’s determination… a visceral reminder of the daring of [Lang’s] feat." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 02/01/2016
Gr 1–3—A decade before Amelia Earhart entered the public's consciousness, Ruth Law (1887–1970) was performing stunts at aerial shows. By 1916, she "longed to fly to get somewhere…somewhere far away." Emphasizing Law's competitive and risk-taking nature, Lang builds suspense with comparisons and questions. Victor Carlstrom had recently set the record for the longest nonstop American flight (Chicago to Erie, PA) in a much larger machine than Law's Curtiss biplane. Would the young aviator have enough fuel capacity to accomplish her goal: flying from Chicago to New York City? Children will be awestruck at the image of the vulnerable pilot, with no cockpit protection from the wind and low temperatures, steering with her hands and feet, and navigating with a compass and a map box strapped to her legs. Law set a record in the face of so many unknowns—though she was forced to stop in Binghamton, NY, before making it to New York City. Quotes, distinguished by a colorful, cursive font and cited in source notes, add vitality and inspiration. Back matter includes photographs and further biographical details. Colón's harmonious palette is comprised, appropriately, of blues, yellows, and greens; his signature etched lines provide additional energy. He maintains interest by shifting perspectives and changing the color of the light. VERDICT A worthy successor to Don Brown's out of print Ruth Law Thrills a Nation (HMH, 1993), this title underscores the pilot's achievement and conveys her exhilaration.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

School Library Journal

2015-12-22
Lang's portrait commemorates the centennial of Ruth Law's record-breaking flight from Chicago to New York. Law, who performed daredevil tricks for spectators in her Curtiss Pusher biplane, set a higher goal: to best the new nonstop-flight record just set by Victor Carlstrom. Law petitioned Glenn Curtiss for his newest model, which Carlstrom had flown—a large one, with a 205-gallon fuel tank. Curtiss refused, doubting Law's ability to handle the powerful plane and long flight. Instead, Ruth and her mechanics modified her little open-cockpit biplane, installing a metal wind guard and extra fuel tanks that increased capacity from 16 gallons to 53. (Oddly, Lang omits a significant detail: the plane's lights were removed to lighten it.) Effectively employing short, staccato phrases, Lang creates a riveting, "you are there" narrative. Law correctly interprets her engine's sounds, gauges, compass, map, and landmarks, prudently touching down twice before reaching New York City—but after besting Carlstrom's record. Well-chosen quotes from Law further enliven the text (though two, inserted within the flight's narrative, predate it). Colón's rich compositions—in colored pencil and crayon on paper "etched" with swirling lines—use a primary palette of gold and charcoal brown, with layers of turquoise for water and sky. Colón correctly depicts Law's lever controls; there's a captioned photo highlighting the detail. Readers may feel the absence of a contextualizing timeline. A well-crafted tribute to a fascinating aviation pioneer. (author's note, photographs, bibliography, collections and exhibits, websites, source notes) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews