A Young Readers Edition of a compelling story of courage and triumph, this is the inspiring true story of Major Mary Jennings Hegar--a brave and determined woman who gave her all for her country, her sense of justice, and for women everywhere. On July 29, 2009, Air National Guard Major Mary Jennings Hegar was shot down while on a Medevac mission in Afghanistan. Despite being wounded, her courageous actions saved the lives of her crew and their patients, earning her the Purple Heart as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device. That day also marked the beginning of a new mission: convincing the U.S. Government to allow women to serve openly on the front line of battle for the first time in American history. With exclusive photographs throughout, Fly Like a Girl tells the inspiring true story of Mary Jennings Hegar--a brave and determined woman who gave her all for her country, her sense of justice, and for women everywhere. Includes exclusive photographs throughout, a discussion guide, and a Q&A with the author written specifically for teen readers. Praise for Fly Like a Girl: "An honest portrayal of one woman's battles in and out of combat zones."--Kirkus Reviews

From NPR correspondent O' Brien comes this thrilling Young Readers' edition that celebrates a little-known slice of history wherein tenacious, trailblazing women braved all obstacles to achieve greatness in the skies. Photos.

“A truly inspiring read.” —Booklist (starred review) “A solid account of women’s contributions as aviators during World War II.” —Kirkus Reviews In the tradition of Hidden Figures, debut author Patricia Pearson offers a beautifully written account of the remarkable but often forgotten group of female fighter pilots who answered their country’s call in its time of need during World War II. At the height of World War II, the US Army Airforce faced a desperate need for skilled pilots—but only men were allowed in military airplanes, even if the expert pilots who were training them to fly were women. Through grit and pure determination, 1,100 of these female pilots—who had to prove their worth time and time again—were finally allowed to ferry planes from factories to bases, to tow targets for live ammunition artillery training, to test repaired planes and new equipment, and more. Though the Women Airforce Service Pilots lived on military bases, trained as military pilots, wore uniforms, marched in review, and sometimes died violently in the line of duty, they were civilian employees and received less pay than men doing the same jobs and no military benefits, not even for burials. Their story is one of patriotism, the power of positive attitudes, the love of flying, and the willingness to serve others with no concern for personal gain.

You just can't keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods. Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie. Sure, she hasn't mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she's real good at loop-the-loops. Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma's at her wit's end. So it seems only fitting that she leave her parents' farm to attend a top-secret, maximum-security school for kids with exceptional abilities. School is great at first with a bunch of new friends whose skills range from super-strength to super-genius. (Plus all the homemade apple pie she can eat!) But Piper is special, even among the special. And there are consequences. Consequences too dire to talk about. Too crazy to consider. And too dangerous to ignore. At turns exhilarating and terrifying, Victoria Forester's debut novel has been praised by Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight saga, as "the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men...Prepare to have your heart warmed." The Girl Who Could Fly is an unforgettable story of defiance and courage about an irrepressible heroine who can, who will, who must . . . fly. This title has Common Core connections. Praise for Victoria Forester and The Girl Who Could Fly: "It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men. I was smiling the whole time (except for the part where I cried). I gave it to my mom, and I'm reading it to my kids—it's absolutely multigenerational. Prepare to have your heart warmed." Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight saga "In this terrific debut novel, readers meet Piper McCloud, the late-in-life daughter of farmers...The story soars, just like Piper, with enough loop-de-loops to keep kids uncertain about what will come next....Best of all are the book's strong, lightly wrapped messages about friendship and authenticity and the difference between doing well and doing good."--Booklist, Starred Review "Forester's disparate settings (down-home farm and futuristic ice-bunker institute) are unified by the rock-solid point of view and unpretentious diction... any child who has felt different will take strength from Piper's fight to be herself against the tide of family, church, and society."--The Horn Book Review The Girl Who Could Fly is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

A Young Readers Edition of a compelling story of courage and triumph, this is the inspiring true story of Major Mary Jennings Hegar--a brave and determined woman who gave her all for her country, her sense of justice, and for women everywhere. On July 29, 2009, Air National Guard Major Mary Jennings Hegar was shot down while on a Medevac mission in Afghanistan. Despite being wounded, her courageous actions saved the lives of her crew and their patients, earning her the Purple Heart as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device. That day also marked the beginning of a new mission: convincing the U.S. Government to allow women to serve openly on the front line of battle for the first time in American history. With exclusive photographs throughout, Fly Like a Girl tells the inspiring true story of Mary Jennings Hegar--a brave and determined woman who gave her all for her country, her sense of justice, and for women everywhere. Includes exclusive photographs throughout, a discussion guide, and a Q&A with the author written specifically for teen readers. Praise for Fly Like a Girl: "An honest portrayal of one woman's battles in and out of combat zones."--Kirkus Reviews

"You must believe in yourself and allow your dreams to soar." --Shaesta Waiz Shaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan, dreamed of doing great things. But first she had to leave a refugee camp with her family to make a new life in America, overcome gender stereotypes, be the first in her family to go to college, and overcome her fear of flying. After becoming a pilot, Shaesta made the flight of a lifetime by crossing five continents, making thirty stops in twenty-two countries across nearly 25,000 nautical miles. At the age of thirty, Shaesta was the youngest woman and the first from Afghanistan to circumnavigate the globe by herself in a single-engine aircraft. Fly, Girl, Fly! is the first authorized picture book biography of Shaesta Waiz. Backmatter includes more information about Shaesta's mission to empower girls to pursue STEM careers, details about her historic trip around the world, information about her nonprofit organization Dreams Soar, and a personal note from Shaesta Waiz encouraging girls to pursue their dreams.

A coming-of-age story of a young white girl who discovers racism and betrayal as she tries to unravel the truth about her parents’ deaths and escape the town that lied to her. "Fly Like a Bird presents plot and subplot lines compelling enough to keep the reader turning the pages, and heart racing at times. . . Those who populate the story are colorful, loving, hateful, sad, evil, heroic and courageous, but never stereotypical . . ." - Verified Reviewer Ivy, a young girl growing up in a small town in the 70s where everyone knows everything, discovers her family and the people in her town are keeping secrets about the night a car crash killed her parents. The secrets she uncovers and her efforts to leave the town that lied to her, force Ivy to confront betrayal, death, racism, and the meaning of family. "I actually lived this book. Took me 8 hours to read it. Couldn't put it down. I'd recommend it to everyone. It doesn't matter where you were born and raised, home is really where your family lives, related or not." - Verified reviewer. "This was a great read! The author really dived deep into topics of racism, domestic violence, sexuality and the impact of family secrets via a young girl that loses her parents. This was well written and an enjoyalbe read - Goodreads review. ". . . I am pleased to recommend this noir-style Iowa historical to friends and family. It is an interesting read, telling tales of what it takes to make-or-break a family . . ." - Bonnye, Netgalley and Goodreads reviews ". . . I really connected with this book. I found it hard to put down. It resolved too quickly and perfectly in my opionion, and that felt rushed. . . I would have liked a cliff hanger and a follow up book . . . it was THAT enjoyable. I will definitely read more from this author and would recommend this book highly." - Colleen - NetGalley review "I love family stories, especially about grandparents. And this is a good one. Ivy has lived with her grandmother for as long as she can remember, ever since her parents were tragically killed. Theirs is a small town in the 70s, rife with racism and prejudice and suspicion and secrets. Seems like everyone knows those secrets except for Ivy. The older she gets, the more driven she becomes to find out the truth about what really happened that night so very long ago." - Shawna - NetGalley review