Learn about how we fly without wings through the voice of the Wright brother’s sister in Flying Machines: Howe the Wright Brothers Soared. The history of flight is introduced with, first a story presentation of the facts, and second with pages of the technical presentation. The use of color and details to separate these two sections helps alert you to the change. Part history and part science story, we meet not only the Wright brothers in this graphic novel by Alison Wilgus, but we also meet the men and women who came before, during and after. We travel the world as we see the people and places come alive with the illustrations of Molly Brooks. There are several afterwards and follow ups to round things out, as well as an introduction by Richard Maurer.
And pair this book with the graphic novel by Anne Drozd and Jerzy Drozd about rockets. Learn about the 2,000-years history of rockets in Science Comics: Rockets: Defying Gravity. If it was not for the people of Flying Machines, we would not have had rockets. We might assume that rockets came well after we officially flew, but many of the experiments and results were parallel to the Wright brothers, and well before. This time we are taken on a journey by several different animals (some with a bit more knowledge than others) about how rockets came to be. And while some things are not all rosy and pink (yes, they mention the animals that survived and didn’t in appropriate language, but still tell it straight), overall, the history of rockets is interesting to say the least.
Both books talk about the “good, the bad, and the ugly” of flight and rockets. They mention how planes are used for personal travel, and for military uses. They mention how rockets were used for entertainment (fireworks anyone?) and how military use them as well. Both introduce the subjects, therefore if you are looking for a specific aspect more research must be done, but it will grab the attention of the science kid.
Both, while the narrators are conversational, have much technical jargon, therefore, they would be best for the ten and up aged crowd.
