Flight

by Robert Burleigh

Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Nonfiction and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year.

Flight. Loneliness. Fear. Danger. Courage. Charles Lindbergh considered all these things and more when he set out for Paris on the morning of May 20, 1927, with only two compasses and the stars for his guides. Experience all the drama of Lindbergh's history-making flight with startling intimacy as you travel along with the first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic, and follow the courage and endurance of one man who dared to make his dream come true.

"(A) glorious re-creation of an epic adventure."-- Publishers Weekly
"Brings new life to one of the stories of the century."-- Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Childrens, Aviation, Transport

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Over the past 35 years, I have published poems, reviews, essays, many filmstrips and videos, and more than 40 children's picture books.

Born and raised in Chicago, I graduated from DePauw University (Greencastle, Indiana) and later received an MA in humanities from the University of Chicago. I've published books for children since the early 1990s. My books - including numerous unpublished ones! - run a broad gamut, from stories geared for pre-schoolers to survival stories and biographies aimed at seven to eleven-year-olds. My work is wide-ranging because, basically, I'm a generalist by experience - and inclination!

In addition to writing, I paint regularly under the art name Burleigh Kronquist and have shown work in one-person and group shows in Chicago, New York, and elsewhere around the country.

-from robertburleigh.com

Reviews

[Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Robert Burleigh .It's an amazing book to know that part history.From this story I have this feeling. When you try do something hard you should know that can not be always successful. When you get problems, you should keep doing, or find why this happen. Like this man in the story, when he feel sleepy, he feel tired, the weather is not good. He know if he give it up he will die, so he still flying that he got successful. So in our life if you choice a right ,whenever if you got problems, solve it and keep doing until it done.
I like this book very much. Right now I want to join the student council, I still have language problems, and homework sometimes let me sleep late.But I choose that way, I want to do that. I think I will get it, because I believe I can solve the problems I can study thing from that.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here: https://www.theproblemsite.com/book-s...

[Linleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flight is a historical picture book that tells the story of Charles Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris. Charles has dreamed of flying to Paris for years and wants to become the first pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and change the history of aeronautics. He and his plane, Spirit of St. Louis, had practiced and prepared extensively for the amazing feat they hoped to accomplish. He flew for thirty-three hours across the land, water, fog, and cities and kept a diary of his thoughts and feelings as he traveled. Charles faced many fears as he flew alone for thousands of miles, but it all was worth it as he landed in Paris and established his place in American History.

A major theme in Flight is to never give up on your dreams. Right before he took off, Charles thought about staying on the ground and turning back home. However, he knew he had been dreaming of completing this trip his whole life, and had come too far to back down. Even as he was flying hours through the darkest of nights, Charles contemplated if he had made the right decision. Though his confidence wavered before and during the flight, he never failed to press on and complete his historic journey.

Flight is a wonderfully illustrated and detailed story of Charles Lindbergh. It told of details of his flight that many people probably would not know. The story mainly takes place inside his cockpit, and the events in the book are book-ended by New York and Paris. The action in the story is mainly just a description of where he is flying, what time it is, and how he is feeling. Although it is not the most entertaining story, it tells of a historical event that can easily be overlooked.

I would recommend this book for 4-5th grades. The book's main purpose is to tell of a significant event in American History, so upper elementary grades would benefit more from the story. The story would be great to include in the curriculum when learning about the 1920's or the Wright brothers.

[Janna Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flight: The Journey of Charles Lindbergh written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Mike Wimmer is a biography of Charles Lindbergh and his flight across the ocean, the first solo Atlantic crossing. This book won the 1992 Orbis Pictus Award and is intended for the primary age group. I would rate this book a four based on the illustrations and the easiness of reading. The illustrations in this book are remarkable because they are so life like as well as the watercolors really create the scene for the readers. Instead of the usual each page has a different illustration, this had two pages that combined is one whole watercolor illustration which was great to really get all of the details of the flight. This book is a fantastic book to use with the children because it can appeal to both boys and girls because of the topic. You could use this book to talk about transportations and planes. I think that this book can be used with the younger children because the younger children can listen to the words and really get a lot of details from the pictures whereas the older children can read this book independently as well. I think that the words itself creates a beautiful picture in the reader’s mind because of the description that the author gave. I mean just in the first few pages, the author really describes just getting the plane off of the track with descriptive words like the plane “rolling over the soggy ground” and then you have this picture in your mind and you can compare it to what you see in the illustrations. This book is fantastic to read about Charles Lindbergh and what he did was so important as well as dangerous.

[Kaelyn O'Brien]

The book Flight tells the story of Charles Lindbergh, who had a dream to fly from New York all the way to Paris, France. Charles starts in New York City and boards his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis. On May 20, 1927 he takes off to fulfill his dream. He will have to fly over 3,600 miles away. Charles travels high and low to the ground and brings along his diary to keep track of everything. As he is flying he comes across many obstacles. He comes across a sky full of storm clouds and he has to fly above the storm, although it is very cold. His biggest challenge will be to make it through the night. It is dark and he can barely keep his eyes open, so he has stay near an open window and physically hold his eyelids up with his fingers. All there is darkness and a lot of water. Charles finally gets to watch the sky turn to morning and he considers landing in Ireland, but keeps pushing forward to accomplish his dreams. Finally, he sees land and as he flies across Europe and finally reaches the coast of France, people are cheering and celebrating. He lands in France after 33.5 hours of continuous flight. Charles is finally able to get some sleep at last, and the next morning, he will be famous. I liked this book. I thought it was a good story about true events, and I think kids would really be into it, especially if they like airplanes. The story was well told and the illustrations were very nicely done in a realistic style.

[Megan Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In May of 1927, Charles Lindbergh left New York for Paris, France in his airplane, The Spirit of St. Louis. The flight was over 3,000 miles and was going to take him thirty hours or more to complete. On his journey, Lindbergh experienced loneliness, fear, sleep-deprivation, and hunger; however, he did not give up on his dream to make it across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris, and he never lost hope. After many hours of flying over the ocean, Lindbergh finally began to see some land: he had made it to Ireland! He realized he could stop in Ireland, but he kept on going to Paris. When he finally got to Paris after flying for thirty-three and a half hours, Lindbergh had crowds of people waiting for him and cheering him on. Charles Lindbergh made history, and then he finally went to sleep (having gone sixty hours without sleep).
I really liked this book! I knew about Charles Lindbergh and his accomplishment, but I didn't know the full story until I read this book. The book talks about how he kept a journal of his journey, so I think that would be cool to read!
This book could be used in the classroom to talk about the importance of never giving up on your dreams if you are truly passionate about something. It's also a good book to talk about how having courage in yourself and support from friends, family, and strangers can help you to push through and overcome your struggles.

[Andrew Upchurch · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book tells the story of Charles Lindbergh, who had a dream to fly from New York all the way to Paris, France. Charles starts in New York City and boards his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis. On May 20, 1927 he takes off to fulfill his dream. He will have to fly over 3,600 miles away. Charles travels high and low to the ground and brings along his diary to keep track of everything. As he is flying he comes across many obstacles. He comes across a sky full of storm clouds and he has to fly above the storm, although it is very cold. His biggest challenge will be to make it through the night. It is dark and he can barely keep his eyes open, so he has stay near an open window and physically hold his eyelids up with his fingers. All there is darkness and a lot of water. Charles finally gets to watch the sky turn to morning and he considers landing in Ireland, but keeps pushing forward to accomplish his dreams. Finally, he sees land and as he flies across Europe and finally reaches the coast of France, people are cheering and celebrating. He lands in France after 33.5 hours of continuous flight. Charles is finally able to get some sleep at last, and the next morning, he will be famous.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book offers quite a good short version of the exciting story of Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight from New York to Paris, the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping. Of course I know about this historic event, yet reading this story brought me again to this amazing feat. What courage Lindbergh had, and according to the story, he had spent a sleepless night preparing, then took off for the thirty-three hour flight. The book tells that he had been up for sixty hours! Burleigh includes the perils of the flight, even taking off to avoid the low wires near the airport, and flying high enough to avoid a thunderstorm only to realize that the wings were icing up, making the plane heavier and using too much fuel. There are more dangers you’ll have to discover when you read, and as you read, you will adore the beautiful illustrations that show well the danger and the loneliness of this adventure as Lindbergh makes his attempt to do something no one else had done.

[Caroline Siewert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Charles Lindbergh, renowned aviator. Charles Lindbergh had a dream of crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Paris by airplane in one single trip; a feat that had not been done before. His dream turned to reality in 1927 when he made his historic flight from New York to Paris in thirty-three and a half hours on his airplane the Spirit of St. Louis. Flight depicts this story well in a way that is easy for children to comprehend and enjoy. The story is written to capture Lindbergh’s emotions and feelings while flying to depict what such a flight would have been like firsthand. The details of this story such as his well-kept diary, testing the weather with his arm outside the cockpit, and seeing fishing boats were all precise events that were kept within his diary. These specific moments in Charles Lindbergh’s story within Flight help to paint an accurate depiction of this piece of world history. This would be a great example of a book to use in a nonfiction unit because it is not a boring book and has the ability to keep readers engaged.

[Shaundell · Rating 3 out of 5]

On May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh made his famous flight from New York City to Paris, France in his plane called Spirit of St. Louis. Leaving at 7:52 a.m. he must travel about 3,600 miles to reach his destination. He is in the air for over 33 hours and at times has a difficult time staying awake. He writes in his little diary as he goes keeping track of times & places, extends his arm outside the cockpit, leans his face her the open window to feel the cool air, sips water from his canteen, and remembers the people in St. Louis who paid for his plane. He was right on course and could have landed in Ireland, but his main goal was to land in France. At 10:22 p.m. he lands outside Paris and the people run out to meet him. A great number of people come out to cheer for him and newspaper headlines all over the world are beginning to read, “American Hero Safe in Paris!”

[Kelsey Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Flight: The journey of Charles Lindbergh" tells the story of the 33 hour flight Charles took from New York to Paris in 1927. The book is detailed and descriptive, and could be used as a great read aloud because it is interesting and engaging for the adult reader, and captivating for the young listener as well. I also think this would be great to include in the classroom because male students would be intrigued by this book. The illustrations in this book are very realistic, and relate to the overall plot and character of the book. They are done in watercolors and are painted, and most take up two pages instead of just one. Overall, a great biography book to share with kids about the brave pilot of Charles Lindbergh.

[Stephanie Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader, I truly enjoyed this non-fiction book. Many non-fiction books are boring, but the illustrations and storyline of the this book kept me engaged. You are experiencing Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic, and the descriptions he uses makes the reader feel as if they are in the cockpit with him.
As an educator, I would use this book in my classroom. There are several curriculum connection that can be made using this Orbis Pictus award winning book. You can make curriculum connections in history, math, science, and reading. The illustrations are beautiful, and this is a non-fiction book students will love.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used this as a biography read aloud for 1st and 2nd graders. This enrichment group struggled to understand some of the language used, but could follow along just fine. We had to talk about what 10 feet looks like, compare his 100 mph to today’s airplane speeds, etc. lots of numerical details you could use to do some math. The book describes Charles Lindbergh ‘s flight from take off to landing. Includes excerpts from his journals set off in italics. Provides some specifics about that flight. The illustrations are gorgeous and are one of the reasons this older book has stuck around our school library.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Wimmer's art grabs the eye immediately and doesn't let go. The brief, staccato storytelling is effective, but mainly as an augment to the beautiful visuals, perhaps contrary to expectations. Through the use of atmospheric colors and close-up views of Lindbergh and his plane, you're there to share the thrill, exhilaration, and terror of the solitary pilot. This is a perfect book to convey the excitment of flying--especially its early days--to young readers, and a fine tribute to one of America's great men.

[Vicki Kier · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nail-biting glimpse of Lindbergh's historic thirty-three-and-a-half hour flight across the Atlantic. Although Wimmer's illustrations are lifelike and provide alternating views from inside and outside the plane, they take an obvious second-seat to the text, which fills large sections of most of the pages. The text is highly suspenseful and awe-inspiring for older readers and listeners, but some young readers with short attentions are likely to lose interest. No references are provided. Recommended for Gr. 3-4.

[Peter Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for children to read because the sentences are nice and short and easy to read. To go along with the the well written sentences it has absolutely gorgeous illustrations. They really depict the critical sentences to enhance the understanding of the reader. I also think that this book is one that can be used in a classroom very easily. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick and easy understanding of the Charles Lindbergh Story.

[Michael Scourey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about the journey of Charles Lindbergh, the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean nonstop. This book contains beautiful illustrations to complement easy flowing sentences. The book would be great for young readers due to the simple sentences Burleigh uses throughout the book. It also has historically accurate information that would be helpful for a project in the classroom.

[Cheryl Meibos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is well told with interesting details of Charles Lindburgh's trans-Atlantic flight (he left his parachute and radio behind?) The illustrations show different perspectives like what the cockpit looked like if you were sitting there in the plane. The third graders found it to be an amazing true story.

[Joseph Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes kids on the historic flight of Charles Lindbergh. As he spends 33 hours straight flying and not veering off course in the slightest. Truly a historic achievement. This book documents the flight through his journal that he kept with him throughout his flight. The story is short and sweet and the illustrations are bright, well done, and attractive.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are vivid and realistic, and the story-telling is great! Enough info to captivate an adult and probably enough interesting descriptions to captivate a young person. (I wasn't reading it to a child, I was reading it to myself.)

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story of Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic. Great attention to detail and emotion of what Charles went through during the historical flight. Great addition to our 6yo's "Flight" lapbook.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few books that could parallel this for its portrayal of Lindbergh Transatlanic flight. This is the best work I've read by Burleigh with the exception maybe of Night Flight about Amelia Earhart's similar accomplishment. This truly is a wonderful book.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of Charles Lindberg's solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927. The text is great, but I really wasn't a big fan of the illustrations in this one. Definitely worth a read for kids interested in flight, though.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's difficult to write an objective review on a book about Charles Lindbergh, as I've no great admiration for the man's character. However, this illustrated book for children captured the excitement, trepidation, and awe that marked Lindbergh's historic flight.

[Keri Rohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flight is a biography over Charles Lindbergh for grades 3-5. This book starts off in a dramatic way but the story is interesting. It doesn’t talk much about Charles before his flight, but the book gives lots of information. I think that Charles story is very inspiring about following your dreams.

[Sueann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read aloud with superb pictures!

[Jeannie Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good resource when teaching about Charles Lindbergh. It is very informational. I enjoyed looking at the pictures as well as reading about the flight of Charles Lindbergh.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making Meaning Grade 4 Resource Kit

[Amy Rachuba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrations and story about Lindbergh's first flight across the Atlantic. The story helps the reader get in the pilot seat and experience the nerves and excitement of the famous flight.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. Well written with captivating illustrations. Nice way to share history without it feeling boring or educational.