From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8?At 12, Vicki Van Meter became the youngest girl to have ever flown across both the continental U.S. and the Atlantic Ocean. The accomplished young aviatrix begins her first-person narrative by recounting how, at age 10, her father suggested she take flying lessons. She was interested in becoming an astronaut so flying proved to be a good fit for her, and gradually her ambitions were born. Throughout her account, Vicki proves herself to be an interesting, likable, and goal-oriented youngster. The continuity of her story, however, is disrupted by inclusions of comments from family and others involved in her adventures. These abrupt interruptions may prove confusing to readers and don't add greatly to the book. Nevertheless, Vicki is a wonderful role model for children. Her supportive family, school, and community also send an upbeat message. Additionally, readers will enjoy sharing in some of Vicki's instant-celebrity episodes and a few hair-raising flying crises. Technical lingo is kept to a minimum, and aeronautical terms, when used, are clearly explained. An entertaining and contemporary autobiography.?Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 4^-6. At the age of 10, Vicki learned to fly; less than two years later, she became an international celebrity when she piloted a plane across the Atlantic Ocean. Kids will grab this account for the exciting facts about how to fly (what equipment you need, how the controls work, what happens when you take off and land, how you train, etc.) and also for the glorious adventure of the ordinary young girl who broke boundaries. Cowriter Gutman retains Vicki's unassuming voice, whether she's talking about problems with ice and altitude and turbulence, the difficulty of going to the bathroom in a plane, or the thrill of being in control while going 150 miles an hour. Occasional comments from Vicki's amazingly supportive family are interspersed with her personal narrative. There's no false modesty (she admits it was "kind of fun" to get all that attention), but she's able to laugh at herself (she knew that writing the school essay "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" would be a breeze). She tells readers to go for what they want to do and try. What makes her advice so convincing is that she's open about how hard that can be. Hazel Rochman
