First to Fly

by Peter Busby

It started with a toy. As boys, Wilbur and Orville Wright loved making their helicopter fly. As adults, the brothers made their living taking things apart and putting them together again: printing presses, bicycles, planes. . . . Through trial and error, these two boys from Dayton, Ohio, built the plane that would change the world forever.
With an inspiring text, original paintings, period photographs, and detailed diagrams, First to Fly recreates the story of the Wright Brothers, from their earliest challenges to their final triumph.

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

Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book.
The authour has combined real pictures taken of the Wright brothers' efforts with illustrations as he details how the two men experimented with flight. The brothers tested 200 different wing types in their wind tunnel. They learned from every effort and eventually had success.
There is the main story and then side bits that explain pictures and other things.
Highly informative and interesting.

[Erin B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: nonfiction-information/biography; grades: 3-5. I wish this book hadn’t been as long. I feel like there was so much information, and I would worry that students would get bored with this book. It was interesting to read the story of the Wright brothers, and I liked that they added extra information here and there. Overall, a good book, just maybe a little long.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully, and simply, told story of the Wright Brothers, through their bicycles and other machines right through the airplane. It's all told in a way that is enjoyable to read without becoming too in depth. Great for young readers ... or for older readers who just want to know the basics without a ton of detail.

[Emilee B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was full of wonderful information! I didn’t think that I would enjoy reading this but I actually did. This book was a last minute read and a great choice. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about the Wright brothers.

[June Brault · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd - 5th Grade
Genre: Biographical/Informational Nonfiction

I think there was a lot of information in this book. I feel like some students may lose interest or get bored from it. It was interesting to find out more information about the Wright Brothers.

[Trevor Alley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book about the wright brothers and the airplane. This is one invention that really shaped the future of America.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful picture nonfiction book where me and my littles learned so much!

[Alejandro Talero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me la lei por Lenguaje. Una historia informativa e interesante sobre las primeras personas en hacer un avion o volar

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

AR 6.4

[Kelly Grimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Personal reaction- I really enjoyed this book because it provided quick and easy information about the creation and development of airplanes by the Wright Brothers. I liked this book because it didn’t really focus on the life of the Wright brothers, instead it provided information first about the creation of airplanes and then the process and changes made throughout the development of airplanes. It enjoyed the fact that the information was clear in the fact that at times, some of the pages presented the information in bullet point format.

2. Purpose-
This would be a great book to read during a social studies unit on the topic of the creation and development of airplanes. This would be a great book to read when discussing the changes in transportation over time and even when discussing the Wright Brothers. This book would be appropriate during this unit because this book provides detailed information about not only the creation of the airplane, but also how the airplane underwent major changes and is still continuously changing. Students will learn through this informational book about the Wright Brothers creation, dedication, and hard work they put into their process of creating the airplane. Students will also learn through this book about the first airplane and the specific changes that needed to be made. The fails and success of the first airplane and the constant changes performed by the Wright Brothers is information students will be exposed to.

This book would be a great independent read for students who have an interest in airplanes. Students with this interest will gain knowledge about the history of airplanes and their development. Student will learn about the specific changes to the airplanes. Students will gain knowledge of the Wright Brothers and how their work developed the first airplane. Students will learn about major events in which airplanes were involved.

This book provides a bibliography at the end of the book to provide students with the resources that were used to gather information and facts about the creation of the first airplane and the Wright Brothers. This will allow students to refer back to these original resources if they want further information. The book also provides an index at the end of the book to help students refer back to the book and be able to find exactly where a concept, term, or event was discussed in the book. The book also provides captions under each picture. The captions provide one sentence giving a brief description of what the picture is about. The book also includes a short timeline at the end of the book discussing when major changes were made to the airplane. The time line also address major events of the Wright Brothers creation. Events in which the airplane took flight are also logged.

3. The pictures throughout the book helped me and will help students get a feel for whom the Wright Brothers really were and their creation of airplanes. The real photos that were used allows for students to see how the development of the airplanes progressed from when they were first created. Students will also gain through these photographs a visual of how airplanes first looked when created by the Wright Brothers to the last look of the Wright Brothers airplanes.

[Cherina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: This informational book describes the history of the Wright brothers and explains how they became the first inventors of the airplane.

Uses: Recommended for late-transitional or fluent readers to use during independent or guided reading. Great for children interested in airplanes, science, or mechanics. Suggest to children who like nonfiction or students who may need to be exposed to more of the informational genre.

Other: Beautiful illustrations; lots of specific details about planes; includes many historic tidbits on planes

Social issues: Good example of perseverance and dedication to a specific passion; includes text about how some people lied about their accomplishments in order to gain fame.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great book that explores the lives of Orville and Wilbur Wright as well as the invention of the airplane. Beautiful paintings and photographs are accompanied by detailed captions. This is a really great book to read aloud certain sections and the pictures are big enough for students to see from farther away. This is also a great book to have available in the library (during a unit on inventions) for early finishers. The sections are short enough to read a little at a time and the photographs really seem to attract the students.

[Tyler]

Sandwiched between a narrative prologue and epilogue, this ambitious non-fiction title tries to tell the story of the Wright brothers first flight in a style that's both informative and entertaining. Full page illustrations begin short chapters filled with text and photographs. This style, combining narrative and informational, illustrations and photographs, could have easily become cluttered and confused. Instead, it draws the reader in from the start and keeps him reading straight through to the last page.

[Amie Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appropriate for older elementary leaders. Wordy text shares the life of Wilbur and Orville Wright and how they invented the airplane. Great access features and visual displays to help readers understand the history leading up to the invention of the airplane. Illustrations and primary source photographs help draw readers attention.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and good mix of technical detail with interesting bits about the lives of the Wright Brothers, the two middle brothers of five siblings. Pitched at the five to nine year old level. My boys, especially my five year old, love this book.

SPOILER ALERT:

Orville is the first to fly.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating picture book has illustrations, photographs and diagrams of the Wright Brothers and their inventions. The book gives a detailed history of the brothers’ lives. The book includes their failures and trials. This book is part of the custom box.

[Adriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a picture book, but the text ans illustrations are meant to be read by older children and tweens. Excellent glimpse into the development of the airplane, but the writing is a bit dry. What makes this book interesting are the illustrations, period photos and explanatory diagrams.

[Stephanie Smoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great informative book about the invention of airplanes. I would use this in a classroom when doing a theme on transportation, or science.

[katsok · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars really. Enjoyable history of the Wright brothers for older elementary kids.

[Alexis Lynch]

Reading Level: 6.8 Guided Reading: W

[Kiddo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for older kids. It is fairly dense for a picture book and there is a death. Still, it is a wonderful story.

[Hunter Woodley]

This book is more informational than a picture book. It has a lot of information and features almost a chapter like atmosphere with its headings. It is written in a way that should be more directed toward an older age group rather than lower elementary. The facts inside of the book are very interesting and well detailed, but not my cup of tea.