The Wright Brothers: Powered Flight

by Anna Sproule

Orville Wright was in the air for only twelve seconds and covered only 120 feet. But those twelve seconds made him the first person to fly a heavier-than-air machine, a full-sized airplane that could be controlled by its pilot. The Wright brothers defined the study of aerodynamics and made modern air travel a reality.

Hardcover

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

Anna Sproule (1942-) is a published author of children's books and young adult books.

Reviews

[Brenna Mclean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna Sprout's biography of the Wright Brothers is very interesting. She tells the story of their lives as if she were narrating it to a group of people. She uses descriptions to make the readers feel as though they were there at the time. This makes it more fun and interesting for readers like me, who do not enjoy reading off lists of facts as much. She starts off the book when they are older, so it skips over some of their childhood. I did enjoy the mix of real photographs and illustrations that demonstrated their work and their development to their final flight. The captions clearly describe what is going on in the picture and when it was taken, to give the readers a little help with what they should be picturing in their minds. I like the way she wrote it as a narration so it was not boring, but felt like I was reading an adventure book of two brothers who were working to discover something that would change the world as they knew it.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography of the Wright Brothers. It's loaded with facts, presented in an easy to understand and concise book. Wonderful photos, drawings, and sketches are included. Well worth reading -- great for grades 6 and up.