Tuskegee Airmen: American Heroes (Hardcover)

by Lynn M. Homan (Author), Thomas Reilly (Author), Rosalie M. Shepherd (Author, Illustrator) "It was the middle of the school year at Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School in Washington, D.C..." (more)
Key Phrases: Tuskegee Airmen, Air Corps, Tuskegee Army Air Field (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-As this novel opens, Victor Kennedy, an elderly African American, takes control of the class in a Washington, DC, middle school in which he is substituting by writing the word "Tuskegee" on the chalkboard. He tells the students about segregated America, World War II, and the Tuskegee Airmen. (The kids in this class have never even heard of segregation.) Over the course of several days, he relates the history of the latter and reveals that he was a member of the distinguished corps. Although the information is accurate, the format leaves much to be desired. The chapters are arranged chronologically, but it is difficult to follow the Airmen's story. The text is repeatedly broken up with questions and comments from the students, all of whom are totally involved in Mr. Kennedy's teaching. The contrived and unrealistic setting will make the book unappealing to fiction readers, and the format makes research use impossible. The black-and-white illustrations add little to the story. Better-organized, more readable accounts can be found in Jacqueline Harris's The Tuskegee Airmen: Black Heroes of World War II (Dillon, 1996; o.p.) or Michael L. Cooper's The Double V Campaign: African Americans and World War II (Lodestar, 1998; o.p.).
Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
On the first warm and sunny day of the year, Washington DC, Martin Luther King Jr Middle School principal, Sharon Riggs needs one more substitute teacher. Victor Kennedy, the father of the school's secretary, agrees to teach the seventh-grade American-history class for the day and tells the students about the Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first black men allowed into combat, flying over 1500 missions over the course of the war and winning a significant battle against segregation at home. Young readers will experience for themselves the triumphant pride of these men in serving their country.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 85 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565549945
• ISBN-13: 978-1565549944
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,436,941 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)