Soar, Elinor, Soar

"Children must be allowed to dream and have a horizon to work toward," says Elinor Smith who in 1930 at the age of nineteen "was voted the best woman pilot in the United States by the nation's fliers, selected over Amelia Earhart, and other women aviators...." At the age of 89, the year 2000, "she became the oldest person to 'fly' the NASA Space Shuttle Simulator." But that's the happy ending to the story. Back in 1917 when Elinor was six years old she had her first ride in a rickety airplane and found her dream. These were the days when girls played with dolls and played house and hopscotch. But step by step Elinor followed her heart and learned to fly. When confronted by the male pilots who scorned a woman in the cockpit, Elinor rose to the challenge and took a dare to fly under a bridge in New York City. But she didn't just fly under one bridge. She flew under four. The courage, the determination and the power of a dream are offered with dignity and hope in this heartfelt story. Great for empowering our girls and for reminding them of the risks taken by their foremothers. 40 pages Ages 6-11