Up in the Air: The Story of Bessie Coleman (Trailblazer Biographies) [Library Binding]

Philip S. Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996 | Age Level: 10 and up | Series: Trailblazer Biographies

Presents the story of Bessie Coleman, an American, who in 1920 traveled to France to become the first black woman to earn a pilot's license.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?Another biography of the first African American woman to fly an airplane, this one compares favorably with Lillian M. Fisher's Brave Bessie (Hendrick Long, 1995). Both titles will be useful for research and recreational reading; they cover essential facts about the woman's early life, education, and introduction to flying, and are written in a lively manner. Fisher's style is less scholarly and objective as evidenced in her frequent use of exclamation points, and Hart's bibliography is more impressive. Students unfamiliar with Coleman will probably be more attracted to Up in the Air because of its quality paper, larger print, and inviting chapter titles. Also, many of the same photo-reproductions appear in both books, but the pictures in Hart's title are markedly larger, clearer, and better positioned on the pages. But Brave Bessie should not be discounted as it includes information about the aviatrix's life in France as well as some interesting facts about World War I planes. Both books feature the same cover photo.?Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, Kingwood, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. The first African American woman to become an airplane pilot, Coleman overcame many obstacles in pursuit of her goal. She grew up in poverty but was determined not to spend the rest of her life picking cotton in Waxahachie, Texas. When American flying schools refused to train an African American woman, she enrolled in an aviation school in France, where she became a pilot in 1921. Hart wears the juvenile biographer's usual rose-colored glasses while creating his portrait of Coleman. To his credit, he occasionally hints that she may have been less than perfect but then immediately tries to give each imperfection a positive spin, apparently not realizing that Coleman's flaws only make her more human and more interesting. Still, the book provides a very readable account of Coleman's life from childhood until her death in a 1926 plane crash. Black-and-white photos provide many images of Bessie Coleman and the world she knew and also show such documents as her passport and her pilot's license. Lillian Fisher's biography Brave Bessie: Flying Free (1995) covers the same subject, but many libraries will welcome another book on such a dynamic historical figure. Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 80 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876149492
• ISBN-13: 978-0876149492
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,525,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great kids book, March 3, 2010

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K. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Up in the Air: The Story of Bessie Coleman (Trailblazer Biographies) (Paperback)

I ordered a set of these books for a school in Chicago. Every kids needs a hero and every kid needs access to books.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Woman with Wings, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Up in the Air: The Story of Bessie Coleman (Trailblazer Biographies) (Paperback)

As a female-student pilot myself, at 43 and a University student, I have been researching women from across the globe who were yearning to be pilots in the 1930s to the 1950s. I found this book to be informative and inspiring. With so many obstacles against her one of which would never be considered these days, nationality, Bessie only tried harder and determination won through! Reminds me of two Australian books I have recently read namely, 'Pioneer Aviator The Remarkable life of Lores Bonney' by Terry Gwynn-Jones and My God! It's A Woman autobiography by Nancy Bird.