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Science Comics

Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared

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Take to the skies with Flying Machines!

Follow the famous aviators from their bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, to the fields of North Carolina where they were to make their famous flights. In an era of dirigibles and hot air balloons, the Wright Brothers were among the first innovators of heavier than air flight. But in the hotly competitive international race toward flight, Orville and Wilbur were up against a lot more than bad weather. Mechanical failures, lack of information, and even other aviators complicated the Wright Brothers’ journey. Though they weren’t as wealthy as their European counterparts, their impressive achievements demanded attention on the international stage. Thanks to their carefully recorded experiments and a healthy dash of bravery, the Wright Brothers’ flying machines took off.

128 pages, Paperback

Published May 23, 2017

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449 people want to read

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Benjamin A. Wilgus

36 books10 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
7,420 reviews286 followers
October 7, 2020
I have always thought of the Wright Brothers as tinkerers, not engineers or scientists. This book lays that misconception to rest as it lays out their scientific method behind developing their aircraft. I didn't really understand the digression at the end into Frank Whittle's development of a jet engine. It didn't hurt the book, but I would have rather had more pages about the Wrights.
Profile Image for First Second Books.
560 reviews592 followers
first-second-publications
May 23, 2017
In this volume we follow the famous aviators, the Wright Brothers, from their bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, to the fields of North Carolina where they planned to make their famous flights. This is the fifth of the Science Comics, an action-packed nonfiction graphic novel series for middle-grade readers. Make sure to pick it up!
Profile Image for KB.
179 reviews5 followers
June 15, 2021
Entertaining and accessible, Science Comics: Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared provides an enjoyable introduction to the story of the Wright Brothers and their sister Katherine, who serves as the book's narrator. The illustrations are pleasantly well-executed and help to present complex aeronautical concepts in an understandable manner.
For some reason the story of Frank Whittle is incongruously shoehorned into the end of the Wright narrative, but the book warrants no other significant criticisms.
Based on the vocabulary and scientific detail, this graphic novel is most appropriate for an audience of ages twelve and up, although it will appeal to any readers who enjoy aviation history or aeronautics.
Profile Image for wildct2003.
3,609 reviews5 followers
May 11, 2018
Very good book. It does go beyond the Wright brothers into the jet age. Recommended.
Profile Image for OpenBookSociety.com .
4,111 reviews136 followers
May 26, 2017
http://openbooksociety.com/article/sc...


Science Comics: Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared
By Alison Wilcus, Molly Brooks
ISBN 978-1-62672-139-5
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Scott


Review:

The latest installment of Science Comics – Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared takes the series to new heights (literarily and figuratively). This volume of the graphic novel series explores the historical nature of this remarkable subject. Told from the perspective of Katherine Wright, the youngest and the only Wright who graduated from university, she teaches the fundamental principles of early aviation attempts and successes. Like most books in the Science Comics line, this graphic novel is geared toward younger readers. As a primer on the principles of flight, it shines brightly, giving a young child the principles, ideas, glossary and further readings in the field of aerodynamics and the bare basics of turbine jet propulsion.

The story is well told at a fairly brisk pace. A lot of history had to be crammed into a limited number of pages. Wilcus however makes it work, giving the basic information and ‘links’ to the more technical aspects. It shows solid character development of the Wrights and the French and German contemporaries. The dialogue is kept alive as the movement to different scenes and is witty and charming (and often verbose) and propels the ‘science’ behind heavier than air flight. The graphic novel is limited though to the first flying machines, circa early 1900’s to 1911 or thereabouts. It takes a brief look at the first jet propelled airplane, but the focus is on the early attempts in a boom industry.

The artwork is cartoony in a good way. Characters are drawn distinctly and simply, with just enough detail to provide individuality. The art could even be described as ‘airy.’ fitting for the subject materials. Shape is well defined and when details become important, Brooks delivers – making the seemingly difficult concepts easy to understand. Panelation is appropriate and sometimes dissolves into montage or ‘ghost conversations’ (talking heads importing information laid out in diagrammatical fashion). Overall the art is above par, colored well and executed cleanly. Simple to detailed the art reflects what it has to in the story.

Together, art and story in Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared, combine to create quite the educational experience. The graphic novel guides the young reader through the early attempts and the principles that led to modern flight. Complete with a clear illustrations of content, a glossary, further reading (both on the Wright brothers and the Wright sister) this novel is sure to appeal to the budding aeronautical engineer or jet propulsion scientists – or people just interested in the early days of flight. Science Comics: Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared is a entertaining and gratifying read.
3 reviews1 follower
October 16, 2017
The graphic novel, “Flying Machines” by Alison Wilgus and Molly Brooks, is a very informative, interesting, and educational story (more like a lecture) about how the Wright brothers learned to fly, and where they got their inspiration. It begins with Katharine Wright, sister of the Wright brothers, teaching some students how flying machines have changed how we travel, fight, and observe our landscape. The narrator, Katharine, is somewhat biased towards her brothers throughout the story, claiming the others have copied their designs. Other than that, this graphic novel is great for those who know little about aeronautics, or wish to know more. There are some slides between the story about the aerodynamics of early planes and gliders, and explains what pitch, yaw, and roll mean. This is a great book for those who wish to learn more about the Wright brothers and their successes.

Although I found this book very interesting, there is zero plot, boring story, and overall lost my attention within the first three pages. I would have dropped the book and moved on if I could have. This book is more of a lecture than a story, so unless you are using it for information, I don't suggest your read this book.
Profile Image for Julie.
1,035 reviews24 followers
January 27, 2018
These books are fascinating reads, but highly technical, too. I’m surprised by the text complexity because I didn’t realize they were aimed at an upper elementary age student. Perhaps the cover is somewhat misleading. I love the concept and I know if I find the right student to read and enjoy them, they will become popular, but I am also realistic in knowing they will not be for everyone. I enjoyed that this one is told by the youngest Wright family member: sister Katherine. Lots of fantastic information on the history of flight. I think I’ll encourage my husband to check this one out. As an aerospace engineer, I think it would right up his alley.
Profile Image for Maximilian Lee.
450 reviews1 follower
September 1, 2018
I LOVED this book because it was very Very VERY informative. It had TONS of information in it. It was about the evolution of flying machines. In this book Orville's and Wilbur's sister explained the evolution of flying machines and how they worked. For example, she explained thrust and drag. She also explained the failures and successes that all of the major aircraft inventors (mostly the Wright Brothers).
Profile Image for Barbara.
15k reviews316 followers
June 11, 2017
The idea for a comic series dedicated to science topics is a good one, and this one should be popular with middle grade readers, given the keen interest so many youngsters have about flight. The topic explored here is, indeed, flight and the many efforts of the Wright brothers to design a machine that would allow humans to fly. The story of the men and their many experiments and designs is told by their younger sister, Katharine, who gives insight into their struggles and successes and some of the challenges they faced before finally achieving their goal. The book starts with her lecturing in a classroom to a group of largely disinterested students, but eventually her stories prompt their interest and engagement. Although there is quite a lot of scientific information included here and it is clear that there many others who were trying to do what Orville and Wilbur did, they went about it in many different ways. I liked how the text acknowledges the importance of the two men's records so that they could learn from their experiments and how competitive and sometimes dishonest some of the other inventors were. But there were times when I felt as though too many different characters were being introduced. While those individuals were important to the history of flight, they appeared so briefly that it was hard to detect their importance. Additionally, I wanted to know more about what happened to the brothers after their successful flight in North Carolina. Still, this book kept me engaged and reading and taught me some things about the topic with which I was unfamiliar. I'd certainly use it in a science classroom since it is, for the most part, quite accessible with a glossary of relevant terms included in the back matter.
Profile Image for Sarah.
413 reviews8 followers
September 17, 2022
Using the Wright brothers' development of the first practical airplane as a structure on which to build the basics of machine flight, Wilgus and Brooks have created the most linear of the Science Comics I've read so far. It also happens to be the most beautiful, making it a lovely book and story as well as a useful introduction.

Katherine Wright, Wilbur and Orville's younger sister, is our enthusiastic narrator, walking us through her brothers' process, from building a glider to experimenting with wing shape to figuring out how to steer to finally getting a motor and second seat attached. We see their crashes, their brainstorming conversations, and their correspondence with both other enthusiasts and with the Smithsonian Institution--so the story's a clear depiction of research and development, not skipping the trial-and-crash phase to get to the flight. Some valuable lessons about science, there!

At the same time, we learn about other attempts at flight, from perfecting existing dirigibles to the enthusiastic French aeronauts with more money than sense, to Alexander Graham Bell. It's really remarkable to see, in a history of science that focuses so much on lone geniuses developing ideas on their own, how so many people were working together on the same problem at the same time, some coming up with some solutions and some creating others, until all the pieces come together in the end. Flying Machines actually goes a bit further than the Wrights, devoting several of the last pages to Englishman Frank Whittle, who developed the turbo jet engine.

As with several of the Science Comics, some of the science gets deep, quickly--creating an actual historical narrative takes up some of the space to break down Newton's Laws and some other technical details--but it's nothing that a second reading didn't clear up (for me, a 30-something who's technically not in the age bracket the book is designed for...). I also would have liked to see a panel or two of Katherine actually doing something to help her brothers instead of just gushing enthusiastically or worrying about their safety. Both the introduction and her biography in the back seem to argue that she was essential to the success of the airplane by conducting correspondence on her brothers' behalf and being the "PR manager" (Richard Mauer, author of The Wright Sister) during their tour of Europe during which they tried to sell their machine. We get a panel joking about coffee and one about waking up early. It might have been nice to see one of Katherine answering questions by mail, or for a European noble, instead of just being around.

That said, her enthusiasm is certainly infectious! For most of the book, Katherine Wright is in portrayed in shades of grey, narrating the story and cheering her brothers on. Periodically, the narrative will break and another character, again in grey, will join her to explain the mechanics of what's going on. These pages are beautiful in line, coloring, and simplicity, genuinely beautiful to look at, and a lovely contrast to the rich colors of the history happening around it. Like I said, this is probably the most beautiful Science Comic I've seen!
Profile Image for Suzanne.
2,246 reviews44 followers
May 25, 2017
Join Katherine Wright, younger sister of the famous aviators, on a journey through the development of heavier than air flying vehicles. Katherine takes readers back in time and shows them the big names in aviation from more than a century ago. Penaud, Lilienthal, Ader, Voisin, Bleriot, Santos-Dumont, Curtis, Bell, Selfridge, and Whittle are all included, but she focuses on her brothers. The illustrations show the various gliders and planes that the inventors tried - with details about their sizes and the materials used to construct each one. The narration follows the chronological order of events, so it is easy to see how each attempt led to new ideas and improvements. Terms like axis of control and ailerons are shown and explained.

This series follows in the tradition of the Magic School Bus and the Max Axiom books by sharing science concepts through a graphic format. In this case, the comic style illustrations bring the history of aviation to life for readers. There are plenty of facts, and also helpful features such as a glossary, a list of books for further reading, a brief biography of Katherine Wright, and shorter (paragraph-length) bios of aviation pioneers. This book is an excellent introduction to the history of airplanes and aviation, and offers enough names to give readers a good place to start researching the topic more deeply on their own.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Profile Image for Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*.
6,037 reviews219 followers
December 10, 2017
Wilgus, Alison Science Comics: Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared, 110 pgs. GRAPHIC. First Second (Roaring Brook), 2017. $13.

Told in graphic novel format we meet the little sister of the Wright brothers, Katherine, who is now full grown. She acts as a guide to readers who discover the how the brothers were first interested in flying, how flying machines evolved through new thoughts, ideas and discoveries in the science of flight, the flights of her brothers, and the flying community at large. Scientific concepts are discussed in detail along with statics of the first planes. The artwork is presented in shades of brown, mustard, black, white, and gray.

This is my second time reviewing a book from this series and I honestly think they are a bit too challenging for elementary school. I think middle school students learning the concept of flight would find this book just right. There is a plethora of names and science concepts that would overwhelm younger readers, and at times I found challenging. Many of the people had a similar look to me, so I began to have difficulty telling them apart especially as more and more people were introduced. I loved that Katherine was the guide and much biographical information about her is included, which is almost more fascinating to me.

MS –OPTIONAL. Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
Profile Image for Andrea.
994 reviews4 followers
February 16, 2018
Plot
Katharine Wright, Wilbur and Orville's little sister, narrates this graphic novel as a sort of excited little omniscient ghost, wandering through panels and pointing out all the cool things that were happening. The story of the brothers begins in 1878 when their father brings home a wooden French spinning toy called a "bat" that interested the brothers into their adult lives. The history and science of other types of flying inventions and how they worked, or didn't, is looked at as Katharine interviews the inventors. The story skips along the years through the brothers' failures and feats, also intertwined with their communications to other, mostly French, inventors and scholarly types, before ending in 1941 with the invention of the jet engine. Additionally, the book has a glossary, biographies, and further reading suggestions.

Review
I enjoyed the art style, with the sepia and blue colors. Though personally I skimmed through it, I appreciated the pages where Katharine went into detail with scientists and inventors to discuss the scientific reasoning for adding or changing various plane mechanics. This will be a good addition to the non-fiction graphic novel section!

Appropriate for Grades 4-8th, 8-13yrs Amazon
Profile Image for Liz.
2,231 reviews26 followers
January 26, 2024
This is a pretty in-depth history of the Wright brothers' flying achievements with detailed information about each aircraft. The blue and brown illustrations does a good job to take you back to the early 1900s. I don't understand the engineering, and there were more advanced terms than I expected. They are a good example of the scientific method of trial and error (over and over and over again). While being a well-known person herself, Katharine Wright is often forgotten when talking to children about the Wright brothers, so it's nice to see her as the narrator, and serves as a good way to give more context and scientific background (e.g., Newton's laws of motion) when needed. I found the jump to Frank Whittle very jarring.
Profile Image for Sesana.
6,300 reviews329 followers
March 25, 2021
Not my favorite Science Comic. It's very informative, and I loved that Wilgus put a little focus on Katherine Wright, Wilbur and Orville's sister. But Wilgus is trying to cover both the history of early aviation and the scientific principles behind fight, and I just don't think 115 pages is enough room for that. Early aviation ends up being boiled down to the Wright brothers and also one or two others, and the scientific content tends to be infodumped in big walls of text. I think Wilgus could have written two really good books, one historical and one scientific, instead of one ok book.
Profile Image for Earl.
4,109 reviews42 followers
May 30, 2017
This was a tad too technical for my taste. I'm more tend to like nonfiction when it doesn't seem like I'm reading a textbook or a manual. I've got to give props for how they handled dispensing all the necessary information AND also spotlighting a figure who doesn't get credit in the story of the Wright brothers (at least in the others I've heard)- their younger sister Katherine who serves as the narrator in this latest installment of Science Comics.
Profile Image for Mary Thomas.
377 reviews11 followers
January 16, 2018
Another fun edition of science comics, sure to delight and enthuse kids who are interested in flight/planes! A LOT of technical information and text packed into this book. It would benefit from subtitles, chapters, or even more of a narrative. It bounced around quite a bit after the Wright brothers first flight was depicted. For those reasons I’d put this in middle school libraries, unless a younger kid was extremely interested.
Profile Image for Sarah.
3,652 reviews
March 22, 2019
I don't know what I expected since this series is extremely educational, but this book was a little too dry and technical for my enjoyment. However, as a teacher I am pleased that such a topic is surrounded by bright appealing pictures, so that students interested in applied science and all the specifics of flying will have this attractive book to read- thus the third star. But, flying machines, what a wonder!
Profile Image for Cheryl.
13k reviews482 followers
xx-dnf-skim-reference
June 12, 2020
Too much detail, too much disassociated trivia. I wanted to like it, because it was potentially interesting to learn how much little sister Katharine Wright helped the brothers. But I dunno, I just couldn't follow all the snips of history. Maybe my failing because I'm more accustomed to narrative, but I have very much enjoyed other Science Comics so I guess I recommend this only to big kids who are really into aviation history.
Profile Image for Mitchell Friedman.
5,871 reviews231 followers
January 27, 2024
Just a nice solid book on the early development of airplanes. This mostly followed the Wrights using their sister as a framing device. There is lots of bits of engineering and physics thrown in, but it is pretty easy to follow and the art adds to the clarity. There are times it goes a little into the weeds with the text. And perhaps it gets a little too far afield from the Wright Brothers. But generally this worked well enough.
Profile Image for Jak Krumholtz.
719 reviews10 followers
July 10, 2023
I’ve been devouring these Science Comics lately. All have been solid but some stand out. This book does a great job explaining the process and context of what the Wrights achieved. Having it told through their sister’s view was a wonderful touch. I left with a better appreciation of what was accomplished a few miles from my home growing up. I’m impressed it was a kid’s book that did it.
Profile Image for Barb.
372 reviews23 followers
January 14, 2018
Great book to learn some of the background of the first flight. Really makes you appreciate the scientific study the Wright Brothers went through. Their sister narrates this book and I didn’t realize the role she played in the first flight.
Profile Image for Raven Black.
2,870 reviews5 followers
May 23, 2022
Learn about how we fly without wings through the voice of the Wright brothers sister. The history of flight is introduced with, first a story presentation of the facts, and second with pages of the technical presentation. The use of color and details to separate these two sections helps alert you to the change. Part history and part science story.
Profile Image for Christel Elliott.
16 reviews2 followers
June 15, 2017
My son zoomed through this in a day. He really enjoyed it. He didn't want to put it down.
4,096 reviews28 followers
July 16, 2017
Very nicely told story with lots of excellent science included. I like that there are sections specifically about aeronautics which readers can dip into or chose to move through the story.
Profile Image for Loz.
1,681 reviews22 followers
September 16, 2017
Really fun addition to the Science Comics line. The art was tonally perfect and very enjoyable. I also enjoyed the use of the sister as a narrator, it grounded the story and information well.
Profile Image for Jaime.
110 reviews4 followers
November 9, 2018
This was a fun look at the history of The Wright Brothers. The story is told in an engaging and interesting way, with the perfect supporting artwork. My son and I enjoyed it a lot and learned a ton!
Profile Image for L.A..
670 reviews
January 13, 2026
3.5 rounded up. I found some this one a bit too satirical and quirky, but my 4-year-old boy insisted on reading the whole thing! Seven-year-old girl also enjoyed. They live “Science Comics”!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews

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