Sky Pioneer by Corinne Szabo #13

Szabo, Corinne. (1997). Sky Pioneer: A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Grades: 4-8

Curriculum Link: Social Studies

Author Credibility: Corinne Szabo is a graphic designer and photo researcher. She became interested in Amelia Earhart while gathering photos of her. She discusses in the book that after learning about Earhart, she wanted to share her story with young people.

Awards: none found

Summary:
This book is a photobiography of Amelia Earhart`s life. She became interested in airplanes while working as a nurse’s aide during World War I. She would watch the soldiers train in the fields around Toronto, Canada. She took flying lessons and eventually earned her pilot’s license in 1923. She set many records as a pilot. In this book, the author sheds light on her dedication, skill, courage, and grace. Amelia Earhart overcame many obstacles to become a pilot and do what she loved. She had a strong determination, and she was a great role model for women during this time and even today.

Standards: People, Places, and Environments

Illustrations: Black and white photographs of Amelia Earhart, primary source documents

Access Features: Foreword by Linda Finch, timeline, index, a map that outlined her unfinished trip around the world, sidebar with quotes from Amelia Earhart

Writing Style: This book was organized chronologically beginning in 1897 – 1937. The structure, interesting language, and important facts work together to make this a fascinating read.

Classroom Use: I would use this book in my classroom to talk about how women have contributed greatly to society. This book could be used to discuss how Amelia Earhart was a role model to women during this time, and people saw her as an important figure that overcame many obstacles to accomplish her goals.

Response: I loved this book! I love to read books that discuss how women have been successful in the face of adversity and have had to overcome obstacles to reach their goals. I really thought this book shed light on Amelia Earhart as a person and discussed the wonderful qualities she had that pushed her to dream big. So many books about her just simply focus on disappearance. It was great to read something new about Amelia Earhart.

Related Text:
Women Aloft by Valerie Modman
The Sound of Wings by Mary Lovell