Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine

by Heather Lang, Raúl Colón (Illustrations)

On November 19, 1916, at 8:25 a.m., Ruth Law took off on a flight that aviation experts thought was doomed. She set off to fly nonstop from Chicago to New York City. 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. In this well-researched, action-packed picture book, Heather Lang and Raúl Colón recreate a thrilling moment in aviation history. Includes an afterword with archival photographs.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Aeroplanes, Science

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2016

About the author

Heather Lang writes picture books that celebrate our natural world and biographies about women who overcame extraordinary obstacles to follow their dreams. Her award-winning books include Supermoms!: Animal Heroes, Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark, and The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest, an NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book and Green Earth Book Award winner. To research her books, Heather has observed animals in the Serengeti, climbed to the treetops of the Amazon, and explored the depths of the ocean. You can read more about Heather’s books and find lots of activities and resources for them at heatherlangbooks.com.

Reviews

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1...

I love Ruth. She just doesn’t care if anyone tells her she cannot do something. She just goes about it her own way. Law is definitely a woman who should be taught about in schools because she really embodies someone that is not going to let lower expectations for women get in her way of doing exactly what she wants to do. And even next to flying, Law goes against everything that is stereotypical about women because she is also mechanical. (Also, interestingly enough, there is a flying book called Flying Solo which is about another Ruth pilot.) Ruth Law will definitely be added to my “Biographical Picture Books about Strong Women” update post when I do it.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A play-by-play of Ruth Law's historic flight from Chicago to New York City. Law made the flight during a time in which women were actively discouraged from flying and just a few short years after the Wright Brothers made history with their airplane design. She endured freezing temperatures and other weather phenomena in an era in which technology consisted of a lap map for directional purposes.

Prismacolor pencils and lithograph crayons were used to create the illustrations for the book. The story opens with a quote from Law and numerous quotes are worked into the text giving the book a diary-like quality.

Back matter includes an author's note, photos of Ruth Law, bibliography, websites, exhibit info, and source notes.

Recommended for grades 3-5+.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, beautifully written and illustrated true story about a woman who merits the book's title. Young readers will find this nothing-gonna-stop-me pilot cool. Her actual quotes are colorful and skillfully interwoven with the suspenseful and inspiring text.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The things one can learn from reading picture books! My strong desire to see more Raúl Colón illustrations lead me to this inspiring and educational story of a woman pilot who blazed paths before Amelia Earhart. As a child and pre-teen, I consumed story after story about Amelia Earhart and it never entered my young mind that she was not “the first.” I just love that learning can continue on and on and on. I’m forever grateful for my mom giving me a passion for reading. Books open worlds.

[Sarah Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fictionalized account of Ruth Law's historic solo flight from Chicago to New York City when she broke the record for longest non-stop flight. Some great tension is created with weather and engine problems. I loved how Lang made regular use of quotes from interviews of Law about her experiences as a pilot and a woman in this male-dominated field. Interesting back matter.

It's nice to see so many picture book biographies lately of lesser known historical figures, including women and people of color.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Lang, quickly sets the tone – nothing would stop Ruth Law from pursuing flying and pursuing even more dangerous types of flights. Lang integrates quotes from Law (primary sources –yea!) that serve to support and build on this theme as well as others – perseverance, ingenuity, courage, etc. Great window in on this time period. Flying was new and still dangerous and women flying was not always an acceptable idea. My favorite part of the book was Lang’s description of Law’s flight from Chicago to NYC—well written and gripping. The writing flows, making this potentially a good read aloud to students in the classroom – grades 2-5. Read aloud or read with a partner or read independently – there’s lots of content worthy of rereading and discussing. The author’s note at the end should be read and read again as it reveals and reinforces main ideas in the narrative. I might even ask students to read the book, then the author’s note and then the book again. Some students will need to preview the text or even build some background knowledge (of early flight—a quick video maybe and/or the time period) before reading. Would be great as an integrated unit of study on this period of time or on strong women. Oh…and so much potential as a mentor text for writers!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

On November 19, 1916 Ruth Law, a young aviatrix, sought to break the distance record of flying between Chicago and New York in her tiny biplane. Although she had to make a stop because her small plane ran out of fuel, she did courageously reach her final destination. This exciting plane flight comes alive with Raul Colon's sumptuous double spread realistic colored pencil illustrations of her journey. Adding the dimension of including quotes from Ruth Law in bold contrast color script, gives younger readers a taste of important primary resources. Her statement about fear is powerful. " I wouldn't give a cent for any experience that didn't scare me a little. The scare is part of the thrill." The inclusion of a detailed mini biography with photographs of Ruth Law, bibliography, websites, and source notes make this a strong resource for young researchers as well as a great read aloud.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about Ruth Law, a pioneering female flyer. She made a solo flight from the Chicago area to New York City. She was hoping for it to be a nonstop flight. That did not end up happening, but she was the first to make a solo flight that long. I liked Colon's illustrations. I'm not sure it would be appropriate for the book award list I read for, but it would certainly be eligible for Chickadee.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empowering for boys and girls. Quotes throughout help tell the story. Painting style adds flow to the text. The colors make the reader feel eager, driven like the MC, and weightless, perfectly setting the mood. interesting backmatter.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone knows Amelia Earhart. Introduce readers to this brave and fearless female pilot who set a flight record in the early 1900s.

[LeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exhilarating! Having been a child who lay in bed, staring at my window, willing it to burst open and Peter Pan to fly in to carry me off to Neverland (Look at me way up high / Suddenly here am I / I'm flying!), I identified strongly with the opening quote about aviator Ruth Law dreaming she was a swallow or an eagle and waking up disappointed to have no wings. I was constantly disappointed that Peter never came for me. More recently, our family has enjoyed our local aviation show, and so again, I was right there with Ruth when she was doing aerial tricks to entertain folk.

But Ruth’s dream was to GO somewhere—like New York! In 1916 when few men flew and it was considered ridiculous for a woman to even consider it, this was no mean achievement. And her plane! It looks more like a bicycle with wings and a tail than anything I would consider flight worthy. She was so creative, adding gas tanks to allow her to go further, and cutting a map into strips she could scroll through on a box strapped to her leg. Her compass was strapped to her wrist. What an adventure! And what a challenge to boys AND girls to work for their dreams and not let anyone tell them it can’t be done. Ruth did not find success by some kind of “affirmative action;” in fact, she fought an uphill battle against the prevailing thinking of the day--even among aviators. She succeeded by studying the mechanics of her machine until she understood it backwards and forwards and could tell by the sound of her motor what was happening. And by refusing to give up.

Beautifully illustrated and enhanced with scattered quotes, my only complaint is that page numbers were left out. That makes the source notes for quotes difficult to use since they reference page numbers that are non-existent. But I’m looking forward to sharing this book with my grandkids of both genders.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the many books that are appearing on women who stepped out to accomplish their dreams at a time when women were still not believed to be capable of such accomplishments. As a young girl she dreamed of flying only to wake up disappointed in her bed. But she learned to fly the early airplane, even after she was rejected by her first choice, Mr. Wright himself. She flew in local airshows, did daring feats, but that was not enough. She hounded Mr. Curtis to sell her his latest flying machine, the model that had just set the record for nonstop flight from Chicago to Erie, PA. She succeeded. She knew her plane and its engine having worked on every part of it herself.

"I wouldn't give a cent for any experience that didn't scare me a little. The Scare is part of the thrill" Ruth Law.

The story of her flight beginning in a gusty wind in November is exhilarating and has its various problems. The second leg of the journey almost ended in disaster as her heavy gas tanks weighed her down as she tried to clear a high hill topped with trees. For the last leg to New York City, she had to fly through a dense fog that erased landmarks. But she made it, ending her journey by gliding around the Statue of Liberty since she had run out of gas.
I find it sad that I was not exposed to these stories as I grew up since all my teachers were women. I am grateful to the authors and publishers who are making these stories available to young women today.

[Cassandra Clyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working with preschoolers and their families, I am frequently encouraging participation in the 1000 books before kindergarten literacy program. After years of encouraging others to participate, I decided to participate as well, despite not having a child under five years of age, and lead by example. In choosing to participate, I decided to use the challenge as a way to become more familiar with the contemporary literary cannon for families with young children, and have begun to immerse myself in both fiction and nonfiction works available for young children today.

This was a great story about the female aviator Ruth Law who broke the record for the longest consecutive flight in America. This was a huge breakthrough at that time in the field of aviation, but was also a huge breakthrough for women worldwide as aviation was considered to be a risky endeavor for anyone much less for women at the time and yet Ruth took on the challenge, and as a result went on to fulfill her dreams. This was a great story of perseverance by a woman who wouldn’t accept “no” for an answer, and who sought to complete what she had always dreamed of doing. Overall, a great story, well written and gorgeously illustrated!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction telling of Ruth Law's desire to fly her airplane non-stop from Chicago to New York City is brave and something a woman was not encouraged to do. But Ruth had a goal and a challenge and decided she could do it in her bi-plane. It explains her preparations and some stumbling blocks when a man who had a better plane would not sell her one to make her journey. So she strapped on extra gas tanks to her plane and made the trip with a few stops and bundled up against the cold. This and many other stories of non-fiction give girls and students the drive to try what they think they cannot do. The back matter explains each illustration and details about Ruth and her quest during World War I.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific picture book of Ruth Law's recordbreaking flight from Chicago to New York City in 1916, in a biplane, exposed to the elements, braving the cold and sleep deprivation, etc. Has inspiring quotes (properly sourced) from her, pulled out and spotlighted in dramatic fonts. Beautifully designed and illustrated book, where the text flows in curves to imitate flying; author's note gives photos of her and tells the rest of her story, how she wanted to fly in World War II but women weren't allowed in combat, so she did aerial shows and recruited new pilots.

[Kelly Hutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book receives a rating of four stars from me. It is an engaging and inspiring story appropriate for classrooms and young readers with an interest in women's history, aviation, and historical people. This fascinating picture book beautifully portrays Ruth Law's brave journey while honoring her determination and pioneer spirit. Readers are drawn into Law's daring flight and see her overcome misconceptions through exciting storytelling and stunning visuals. Therefore, I would add this book to my library due to it having a great message, especially for women.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a woman who had courage and stubbornness! Ruth Law flew a "flying machine" not even a plane from Chicago to New York City when everyone said that she couldn't do it. She had to retrofit the flying machine she had with her own inventions because no one was willing to sell or help her because they thought the idea for a woman was so impossible. She is a wonderful model for students to follow their dreams whatever they are!

[Ashley Hafely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and her Flying Machine by Heather lang. I love this book. I love the spirit that Ruth has and how she isn't going to let anything keep her down. I enjoyed reading about her and her actual quotes. I wish she was taught about in school. I feel like she is inspirational. The illustrations in this book are fantastic. I enjoyed the way the sky was drawn the most. The whole book was exciting.

[Kaitlyn Faulkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing true story of a woman who becomes a fearless flyer, nicely written and illustrated.  She will be fascinating to young readers because nothing will stop her. Her real quotations are vibrant and expertly weaved throughout the gripping and motivational narrative. The abundance of picture book biographies of lesser-known historical leaders, such as women and people of color, in recent years is encouraging.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrations by Raul Colon.

Shows Ruth Law braving the elements and those who thought she couldn't succeed (and those who tried to ensure she couldn't by not letting her have access to the latest technology) to set a flight distance record and then continuing on to NYC to approval from the crowds.

[Frederic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lesser-known bit of aviation history, and one that's different from the usual story because the flight attempt wasn't successful as originally planned -- the destination was reached, but not as a non-stop flight. It also effectively highlights the biases faced by Law as an early aviatrix. I also love Colón's illustrations!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Ruth Law before, but this awesome children's book biography changed that. My son declared it "awesome" and then insisted I sit so he could read it to me. We both really liked the illustrations.

[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the early days of flight, many women and men distinguished themselves as clever, hardy, and fearless. None was more fearless than Ruth Law. Great tie-in with early twentieth century history, flight, and women’s history.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We need more books like this. Who hasn't heard of Amelia Earhart? But who has heard of Ruth Law? Until reading this book I had never heard of her before. Thank you, Heather Lang, for bringing her story up from the pages of history and into our lives.

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives readers another excellent example of what someone can accomplish despite odds and society weighing heavily against her. This book gripped me from page one and was both an exciting and educational read.

[Cala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great picture book biography of Ruth Law, specifically her historical flight from Chicago to New York. Text is interesting, informative, and age appropriate (read aloud to 6 year old). Illustrations help bring the story to life. Exactly what I expect in a children's bio.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman who didn't let social norms and nay-sayers stand in her way. "When Ruth Law made up her mind, there was no use trying to stop her."

[Miah D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical fiction picture book about Ruth Law and her flight to NYC. Lots of great vocabulary, positive female protagonist, and graceful illustrations

[Abril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lexile: AD700L
AR Level: 0.5pts

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prose: Biography