Customer Reviews

Ruth Law Thrills a Nation

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I love this book. In fact I loved researching, writing and illustrating it. I had so much fun that I am writing another book about another courageous woman-Alice Ramsey. In 1909, she became the first woman to drive across America

In 1916, Ruth Law, a pioneer of aviation (who happened to be a woman) took off in a small, unsteady plane on a record-setting one-day solo flight between Chicago and New York. This highly-illustrated, easy to read book tells all about Law's voyage and why her trip is so important to history. Little details, like how Law covered her bulky flight suit with a skirt, for modesty's sake, seem especially interesting today. Law's courage and bold ambition make for an inspirational I-Know-I-Can-Do-It tale for children and adults, too.

This is a story wonderfully told (and illustrated) of woman who seems to have had mainline history pass her by. All three of our kids love it.

Ruth Law, who was the first woman to carry airmail and who was turned down by the War Department when she wanted to fly for her country in the first World War, set a non-stop, cross country flying record in 1916 and thrilled American women. This excellent children's book by Mr. Brown documents that flight in a way that really makes the aviatrix come to life for children from three to ninety-three. Because she was flying in an open cockpit plane, Ms. Law acclimatized herself by sleeping in a tent on a hotel roof the night before she attempted her flight from Chicago to New York. And she had to do it in an old plane, because the manufacture refused to sell her a new one, as they believed a woman couldn't handle it. Well she proved them wrong. She made five-hundred miles before she ran out of fuel and had to land and she completed the flight the next day. A remarkable feat.

This book is obviously beyond my almost three-year-old son, but we read it all the time anyway. He loves airplanes and I do my best to explain the story so he'll understand. He's starting to get it, I think, but I know this, in a few months, well maybe a bit longer, he'll be reading this book like a champ. Books are good for children. I believe that and this is an exceptionally good one.

Ruth Law. Gosh, aviators make good heroes for kids! I mean, they're up in the sky, daring, soaring free as a bird in that carefree day before shoe bombers and seat belts. Wow.

Well, not SO carefree, Ruth had to basically build her airplane out of hope and prayers after she was not allowed to purchase a new one. Too many people had died already, hadn't they?

This book is about her attempt to fly from Chicago to NYC in one day. She didn't succeed, but the news kept tabs on her all day and she, you know, "thrilled a nation". Plus, she DID make a record for non-stop flying (one that was broken by another woman). Love the picture of the old New York skyline at the end.

Ruth Law did not land in Binghamton on her flight from Chicago to New York City. She landed in Hornell,NY on November 16, 1916. She had run out of gas.
Her plane only carried 50 gallons. Army Lieutenant Henry "Hap" Arnold changed her sparkplugs and became her passenger on the trip to New York City. I am a native of Hornell and Ms. Callum's 4th grade class is trying to
get a "Ruth Law Day" in Hornell.

It's a great book, my kids loved it. Waiting for the next one from Don Brown.

because it was a boring story, and didn't have much detail