Fly High: The Story of Bessie Coleman by Louise Borden
Summary:
When Bessie Coleman was a child, she wanted to be in school reading and not working in the cotton fields of Texas, helping her family earn money. She was the 10th child of thirteen children. She wanted to be somebody important in the world. So Bessie learned as much as should could under the circumstances in her life and read the bible every night. At the end of every day in the fields she checked the foreman's numbers -- made sure his math was correct. This was the beginning of a life of hard work and dedication that really paid off. Bessie moved to Chicago at 23, where she got a job as a manicurist. Bessie moved to France to learn how to fly, and that's how Bessie became the first African-American to earn a pilot's license.
Read it Again?
Yes, this is a great story to read to students for social studies. It is a great biography and shows that if you have determination and work hard you can accomplish anything. It gave a lot of information and followed Bessie all the way through her life as she learned and traveled until her death in plane crash.
Library Use:
I would use this book during Black History month. This is a good book to introduce biography's to the younger students in the school. It does a good job describing Bessie and her life.
Reviews:
Ages 6-9. This short, highly illustrated biography introduces aviatrix Bessie Coleman, who in 1921 became the first African American with a pilot's license. Coleman, who picked cotton as a child in Texas, moved to Chicago as a young woman and was seized with the desire to fly an airplane. When that opportunity was denied to her in America, she saved her money, learned French, and moved to France, where she earned an international pilot's license. Throughout the text, the authors emphasize Coleman's determination to "be somebody," a resounding inspirational message for youngsters. The writing is clear and informative. Even the potentially difficult section on Coleman's death in a plane crash is handled with plainspoken dignity. Flavin contributes a series of soft-edged gouache paintings that express beauty and harmony in every aspect of Coleman's life. Pair this with Reeve Lindbergh's Nobody Owns the Sky (1996) for the same age group.
K-Gr 4-The authors' flair for imparting history soars in this biography of the first African American to earn a pilot's license. From her difficult childhood spent picking cotton in Texas to her grand achievements in aviation, Coleman's personality shines through. The warm illustrations done in gouache on colored paper mix exciting images of the aviator flying her plane with quieter glimpses of her interacting with friends and family members. The straightforward sentence structure keeps the action moving and will capture reluctant readers. Coleman's affinity for children will captivate youngsters, who will freely mourn the early demise of the "tr s chic! aviatrix" who often told others, "You can be somebody, too." A first-rate follow-up to Borden's Good-Bye, Charles Lindbergh (McElderry, 1998).-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. |
References:
www.mackin.com
Bibliography:
Borden, L. (2004). Fly High: The story of Bessie Coleman. Fort Worth: Texas. Aladdin.
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