The Wright Brothers' Glider, Vol. 10

Children's Literature - Della A. Yannuzzi

Digby and Hannah Platt like to visit Mr. Rummage's antiques stall and look for interesting articles. Mr. Rummage is happy to show them historical artifacts that belonged to famous people. During one visit, Mr. Rummage shows them a model glider made by Wilbur and Orville Wright. The story of the Wright Brothers is told through the fictional characters of Digby, Hannah, and Mr. Rummage. From an early age, the brothers were fascinated with flight. They watched birds soaring through the air, and learned through this observation that flying is a balancing act. They made diagrams and began planning a glider that would use new twisting controls. Once the glider was built, the brothers chose Kitty Hawk in North Carolina for their launch site. Although they did not build the first aircraft, they did build the first one that could be controlled over a distance. Most of the book is told in dialogue, but additional information is presented in many interesting sidebars. Some of the sidebars include information about the Wright Brothers' parents and siblings, while others cover topics related to flight, such as myths about flight, the history of flight, early flying machines, exhibition flying, and much more. Colorful illustrations and photographs highlight the text. A glossary is also included. Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi