Did you know that there was a woman in the sky before the Wright Brothers? The Flying Girl: How Aida de Acosta Learned to Soar tells the story of that woman, who against all societal conventions became a pioneer for something greater. Having faded into obscurity over the years, this book brings Aida and her accomplishments back to the forefront of history in an appealing child-friendly way. ( )

I loved this book both for it's feminist influence and multiculturalism. The Flying Girl tells a tale of a young woman who will not be held to societies standards and instead follows her own path to pursue her dream of flying. She finds a kindred spirit in a young man who helps her to learn all she needs to know. It's a story about not doubting oneself when everyone is telling you it cannot be done. This is a great book for little girls and dreamers of all ages. One of the things that I liked the best about this book was there was not a huge emphasis on her cultural background but her gender. Depending on the age of the reader this could make for interesting conversation about cultural acceptance in countries in European countries . ( )

A story about a young girl who see a air boat flying in the air. She dreams of one day being able to soar just as the man in the air boat. Her mother tells her no one will want to marry a girl who flies. Aida asks the inventor if he could give her lesson on how to fly the air boat. The inventor invites Aida to a dinner at the hanger. She studies hard and is one day able to fly. She amazes the inventor and flies the air boat. He tells her she is brave and a hero to all the young girls of the world. A delightful tale of a young girl who follows her dreams and does it successfully. ( )

In the early 20th century, a teen-aged Aida de Acosta spotted a flying dirigible and wanted to learn how to pilot one herself. She did so, becoming not only one of the first women in aviation but one of the first persons in aviation, period. However, due to familial pressure, she kept this achievement quiet for many years. Thankfully, author Margarita Engle and illustrator Sara Palacios are now bringing that story to light. I must confess I knew none of the information presented in the author's note before picking up this book. This biography is very short and sweet, focusing on Acosta's spirit and achievement rather than being an entire life story. This makes it a suitable fit for even very young children with relatively short attention spans. This could easily be a good read for women's history month, although I think it's light and fun enough to be shared any time. ( )