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Summary
Summary
Discover a thrilling moment in history when pioneering aviator Ruth Law attempted to do what no other aviator had done before: fly nonstop from Chicago to New York.
On November 19, 1916, at 8:25 a.m., Ruth Law took off on a flight from Chicago to New York City that aviation experts thought was doomed. Sitting at the controls of her small bi-plane, exposed to the elements, Law battled fierce winds and numbing cold. When her engine ran out of fuel, she glided for two miles and landed at Hornell, New York. Even though she fell short of her goal, she had broken the existing cross-country distance record. And with her plane refueled, she got back in the air and headed for New York City where crowds waited to greet her. This story is perfect to share during Women's History Month or anytime during the year!
Author Notes
Heather Lang is the author of The Original Cowgirl: The Wild Adventures of Lucille Mulhall and Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman , Olympic High-Jump Champion , selected for the Amelia Bloomer Book List. She lives in Lexington, Massachusetts. Visit heatherlangbooks.com.
Raúl Colón is the illustrator of over thirty books, including the New York Times bestselling Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt. He is the recipient of two Pura Belpre Awards from the American Library Association. He lives in New City, New York.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In November 1916, Ruth Law added three extra gas tanks to her small biplane and attempted a one-day flight from Chicago to New York City. Colón's etched artwork, glowing in autumnal yellows, shows Law flying above the Midwestern landscape (her vessel may remind readers more of their own bicycles than of modern planes). Law's quiet confidence allays harrowing moments, and although she didn't reach New York City before nightfall, she took off from Binghamton, N.Y., the following morning, eventually circling around the Statue of Liberty and being welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd. Lang (The Original Cowgirl) keeps the focus on Law's determination, while a closing description of "icicles dangl[ing] from her hair" is a visceral reminder of the daring of her feat. Ages 5-8. Author's agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator's agency: Morgan Gaynin. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Ruth Law's 1916 biplane flight from Chicago to NYC broke not only records but boundaries for women. The taut text detailing that flight, interspersed with quotes from Law, lends immediacy and amps up the story's tension. In his striking, rich-toned colored-pencil and crayon artwork, Cslsn makes wonderful use of perspective, allowing readers to soar alongside Law. "More about Ruth Law" appended. Websites. Bib. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* It's true: When Ruth Law made up her mind, there was no use trying to stop her. With tenacious aplomb, Law announced that she would fly from Chicago to New York in one day a distance, in 1916, that had never before been attempted. Never mind that Law's longest stretch until then was 25 miles, nor that her flimsy flying machine only held 16 gallons when she needed hundreds; she would simply make a few adjustments and get going. That she was a woman had naysayers shouting impossible, but on a windy November morning, Law flew off to make history: I wouldn't give a cent for any experience that didn't scare me a little. This is Lang's third title celebrating courageous, barrier-breaking women who deserve to be better known. Here Lang gives Law ample opportunity to voice her own words, enhancing most pages with Law's quotes in a cursive blue font. Colón's signature pointillist style produces a warm, autumnal palette of golds and browns and is an ideal complement to Lang's text, allowing for both detailed close-ups and vast landscapes. Together, Lang and Colón ensure Law a magnificent, long-overdue flight from history straight into the present.--Hong, Terry Copyright 2016 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-A decade before Amelia Earhart entered the public's consciousness, Ruth Law (1887-1970) was performing stunts at aerial shows. By 1916, she "longed to fly to get somewhere.somewhere far away." Emphasizing Law's competitive and risk-taking nature, Lang builds suspense with comparisons and questions. Victor Carlstrom had recently set the record for the longest nonstop American flight (Chicago to Erie, PA) in a much larger machine than Law's Curtiss biplane. Would the young aviator have enough fuel capacity to accomplish her goal: flying from Chicago to New York City? Children will be awestruck at the image of the vulnerable pilot, with no cockpit protection from the wind and low temperatures, steering with her hands and feet, and navigating with a compass and a map box strapped to her legs. Law set a record in the face of so many unknowns-though she was forced to stop in Binghamton, NY, before making it to New York City. Quotes, distinguished by a colorful, cursive font and cited in source notes, add vitality and inspiration. Back matter includes photographs and further biographical details. Colón's harmonious palette is comprised, appropriately, of blues, yellows, and greens; his signature etched lines provide additional energy. He maintains interest by shifting perspectives and changing the color of the light. VERDICT A worthy successor to Don Brown's out of print Ruth Law Thrills a Nation (HMH, 1993), this title underscores the pilot's achievement and conveys her exhilaration.-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Lang's portrait commemorates the centennial of Ruth Law's record-breaking flight from Chicago to New York. Law, who performed daredevil tricks for spectators in her Curtiss Pusher biplane, set a higher goal: to best the new nonstop-flight record just set by Victor Carlstrom. Law petitioned Glenn Curtiss for his newest model, which Carlstrom had flowna large one, with a 205-gallon fuel tank. Curtiss refused, doubting Law's ability to handle the powerful plane and long flight. Instead, Ruth and her mechanics modified her little open-cockpit biplane, installing a metal wind guard and extra fuel tanks that increased capacity from 16 gallons to 53. (Oddly, Lang omits a significant detail: the plane's lights were removed to lighten it.) Effectively employing short, staccato phrases, Lang creates a riveting, "you are there" narrative. Law correctly interprets her engine's sounds, gauges, compass, map, and landmarks, prudently touching down twice before reaching New York Citybut after besting Carlstrom's record. Well-chosen quotes from Law further enliven the text (though two, inserted within the flight's narrative, predate it). Coln's rich compositionsin colored pencil and crayon on paper "etched" with swirling linesuse a primary palette of gold and charcoal brown, with layers of turquoise for water and sky. Coln correctly depicts Law's lever controls; there's a captioned photo highlighting the detail. Readers may feel the absence of a contextualizing timeline. A well-crafted tribute to a fascinating aviation pioneer. (author's note, photographs, bibliography, collections and exhibits, websites, source notes) (Picture book/biography. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
