Molly Takes Flight

American Girl: Short Stories #6

by Valerie Tripp, Nick Backes (Illustrator)

World War Two is changing everything in Molly's life. First Dad left for England, and now Aunt Eleanor plans to join the WASPs--the Women's Airforce Service Pilots. In Molly Takes Flight, Molly longs for something that won't change, like the North Star shining at the end of the Little Dipper.

After you read Molly's story, learn how to make your own stargazer, just like Molly might have made.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Middle Grade, World War II, Short Stories

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Valerie Tripp is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series.

She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.

Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Molly felt as if change had wooshed through her life and set everything spinning."

Every summer, the whole McIntire family goes to her grandparents' family farm for a vacation but not this year. Molly's dad is in England to work as a doctor during WWII and her mother works for the Red Cross during the day. Her siblings are either working or are in day camp, so it is only Molly going to the farm this year.

There's been so much change that Molly can't wait for the same summer vacation to wash over her - stargazing, swimming, playing with the farm animals - but even that has changed. Aunt Eleanor was missing when Molly first arrived to the farm, and when she comes back, Granpa is frustrated.

"Eleanor, are you going to tell Molly that this year isn't going to be the same as every other year?" said Granpa.

And soon the truth comes out. Aunt Eleanor is trying to join the WASPs (an all female group of piolets) and her parents (Molly's grandparents) feel strongly about it. And the more Molly thinks about it, the more frustrated she feels.

"She hated the idea of Aunt Eleanor going away. She hated it so much, it made her angry - angry at the war, angry at the world, and even a little angry at Aunt Eleanor."

When the world feels so horrible, how can Molly stand to let another person go?

Whew. This was a really great companion book to the main Molly series. I really liked how we got to see another side of Molly - she's normally so cheerful and bubbly, and sometimes a bit wistful and worried, but we never see her angry at the war like this.

I think showcasing these emotions was a really great choice on the author's part. It made Molly feel more human and more relatable.

I was also fascinated by the WASPs and how Aunt Eleanor wanted to become part of them. It was really neat to learn about them.

That being said, the timeline felt a bit confusing. Bennet (Molly's puppy) should be in this book (I think) because he comes from Happy Birthday Molly, which happens before her summer adventure in Molly Saves the Day...but he isn't mentioned at all during this summer companion story. And there's even a section at the beginning that explains the location of all of the siblings.

Additionally, I remember in Molly's Surprise (A Christmas Story) that the McIntire children were eagerly awaiting for Granpa and Gram to arrive with the Christmas tree (but I don't recall any mention of Aunt Eleanor in that book, and given how she seems to live with Granpa and Gram, I wonder if the author made a mistake? Or just added this character in later).

Plot inconsistencies aside, I still feel like this book was really well written. It's so short but still had a wonderfully emotional impact on me.

A Peek into the Past

Like all of the main and mini Molly McIntire books, this one has a mini historical section at the back called a Peek into the Past.

In this Peek into the Past, we learn about the WASPs - the Women's Airforce Service Piolets. We get information about what it took to be a piolet and how women helped the war effort even if they couldn't do combat flights. My favorite story was about how the P-39 plane was considered extremely difficult to piolet but one general thought that the male piolets just weren't reading instructions so he had the women take the plane up cause he knew that the women always read the instruction manual thoroughly. Guess what? They could fly that plane with ease and suddenly the men no longer had issues. HMMMMM....

And finally, there's a craft at the very end to teach us how to make a stargazer using an oatmeal container and adding in your own constellations with paper attached to the bottom, so when you look through it, you can see the stars at any time of day.

[Naomi Saucke · Rating 5 out of 5]

What great imagery the words in this book paint! I look forward to learning the joy of stargazing as well as looking down at fields while flying.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this look at the WASPs, women pilots during WWII. The real value in this book is in the "Looking Back" section at the end of the book (and in the craft project, now I want to make a Stargazer!).

Molly is still enjoyable as always. And her common sense and compassion really shine through in this book. All in all, highly recommended!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading as an adult. Change-averse Molly is back, this time on a solo visit to her grandparents' farm. Without her siblings around, and with Aunt Eleanor busy all the time, all the usual traditions just aren't as much fun. When Eleanor lets Molly in on her hopes of joining the WASPs, Molly's first reaction is anger at the war: now she'll have another person to worry about. But after a ride in Aunt Eleanor's plane, Molly understands her aunt's love of flying. Back on the ground, she manages to find just the right metaphor to get even change-averse Granpa on board with Eleanor's plans. Set later in the summer of Saves the Day. Originally published in American Girl Magazine, Jul./Aug. 1993.

[Bridget Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry not sorry I’m eating lunch in a 5th grade classroom and it was on the bookshelf and it was really cute and wholesome and made me tear up.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is from the perspective of a mother -- Molly continues to struggle with the changes that wartime has brought to her life, but although she starts of pretty whiny and temper-tantrumy, by the end of the book she begins to learn empathy, so more character development in this short story than we get in several books in her core series!

The Looking Back section gives interesting details on women's roles during the war, making for a well-rounded story that I look forward to sharing with my daughter.

[Little Seal]

My dumbass truly thought the cover of this one was Molly having a dream about Amelia Earhart and her flying. Turns out, it's just her definitely-lesbian Aunt Eleanor (so basically Amelia Earhart).

This is probably my favorite of the short stories thus far. I love the historical information in the back of the book, especially the part where women proved that one type of plane wasn't dangerous at all because THEY ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION IN CLASS. Hm, if only we gave women more credit.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great short story that provides just enough of a history lesson along with Molly's feelings about everything changing around her. I liked that it touched on her Aunt Eleanor's plans to join the Women's Airforce Service Pilots.

[Theresa F. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I am an adult, and therefore am not the target audience for this book, I have read a number of other volumes from the American Girls Short Stories series, and I found this one lacking in comparison. The compressed format utilized by this series can be challenging to write for, and the storyline of this particular book suffered from some definite pacing issues, with abrupt scene changes and choppy, disjointed transitions. As a result, the plot came across less as a story and more as a 'very special' lesson for children on dealing with change in life. Granted, the books in this series typically feature some sort of lesson or moral for young readers. However, other titles from the series have managed to better integrate their chosen lesson into an engaging story arc. In my opinion, the book's choice of subject matter, namely the Women's Airforce Service Pilots, had a lot of potential. But the end result suffered from poor execution of ideas.
Did I like it? I've read better books in this series.
Would I reread it? No.
Would I recommend it? Personally, I think readers could skip this one and not miss much. However, the cover image showcasing the title character of Molly beside an airplane, may be too enticing for diehard American Girl fans to resist picking it up.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the AG Short Stories I’ve read so far have been lacking for me, but I loved this one. Even though we haven’t read the Molly books yet, we chose this one for the aviation aspect, and I felt pulled right into the story and found myself tearing up at the end. For such a short story, I felt touched by each character’s struggles as they try to navigate WWII on the home front in diverse ways. Granpa tries to deal with the uncertainty by clinging tight to the only thing he can truly control – his farm – and wants to keep it the same as its always been, right down to the ruts in the road. Aunt Eleanor feels compelled to help win the war, and wants to join the WASPs. Molly really relates to Gradpa; it is so soothing to come back to the unchanged farm when everything is her life has been turned upside down by the war. Yet, she also feels inspired by Aunt Eleanor, even as she hates the idea of someone else she loves going away and being in danger. The back matter about the WASPs is very good and includes many photographs.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is 1944 and America is at war. Young Molly McIntire is trying to adjust to the many changes in her life....... Dad is away in

the army, Mom works for the Red Cross, sister Jill is volunteering at the Veterans' Hospital, brothers Ricky and Brad are concerned with jobs and day camp. She goes to visit her grandparents and Aunt Eleanor and finds that her beloved Aunt is gone all day every day to train for the WASP! Molly is hurt and angry that she won't be spending quality time with her aunt. This short story is an exciting account of how the war affected families.

[Katie Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which we learn that Molly gets a her worst traits from her mother's side (despite Mrs. M's undeniable coolness). However the pics of W.A.S.P.s in flight suits and full lipstick in the Peek into the Past save it. #MollyMollyMolly #Samantha5eva

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I have always loved these books partially due to their easy to read nature but also because of the learning sections in the back. Everyone needs a place they can come back to and change is hard on everyone. This gives an interesting look into one aspect of the war often forgotten.

[Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly looks forward to visit her grandparent's farm, hoping to get a break from all the changes happening around her. But soon she realizes change has come to the farm too and at first she's not happy about it.
But when she finds out how much her aunt loves her new job, she's so supportive 🥰

[Faith Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet book. Yes, Molly is a grump sometimes, but she's 10 and going through tough times.

My #1 comment on reading this is to take it in slowly. Yes, it might take less than 20 minutes to read it, but it's endearing, and you'll want to enjoy every moment.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly and her aunt both learn the same lesson. And we learn an important and little know. Fact about women during ww2!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a sweet ending, but I just don't like the story that much. Molly is whiny and just kinda boring.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself was cute, but I was most fascinated by the "looking back" section at the end. I had no idea there were women pilots during WWII!

[Rosario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad to have read a new meaning -a more socially relevant one- to the term WASPs. I liked how when the men were away, the women just immediately filled the gap without any fuss.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite part is when aunt eleanor took them to the airfield and they flew in the plane that they really worked on

[Carey Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading. It was a great short story.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall enjoyed!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really was starting to think I had imagined this book until I found it in a used bookstore a few weeks ago

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since the war began, Molly has been having a hard time dealing with all the changes it brought in her family. Her dad is still in Europe with the army, her mom is busy with her Red Cross work, Jill has been volunteering at the Veteran's Hospital, even Ricky has a job mowing lawns in the neighborhood and younger brother Brad is off to camp every day.

Now, it is August and Molly is visiting her grandparents farm by herself for the first time. Now, here with grandpa, grammy and the familiar smells of her grandmother's kitchen, it feels more like old times to Molly. Until she realizes that her favorite Aunt Eleanor isn't there and when she asked where she is, Molly is told she is away, "as usual" according to grandpa.

But when Molly and grandpa return to the house after picking a melon from the garden, Aunt Eleanor is home. Still, Molly's excitement that she will be able to do the same things with Aunt Eleanor this year that they have always done together on the farm quickly turns to disappointment when she is told that her aunt won't be home the next day.

Later that night, while stargazing, Aunt Eleanor tells Molly she has applied to join the WASPS, or Women Airforce Service Pilots, and that, if accepted, she will be testing and transporting planes for the Air Force, and even helping to train pilots. Molly is not quite as happy about this as Aunt Eleanor would have liked.

Aunt Eleanor leaves early every morning, returning home at suppertime. Molly spends the next few days alone, feeling lonely without her family at the farm, angry at the war and now angry at her aunt, and maybe even a little jealous that she wants to spend Molly visit flying instead of with her. Then, one night, Aunt Eleanor doesn't get home until Molly is already in bed. When she goes in to see if Molly is awake, Molly's anger gets the best of her and she snaps at her aunt, accusing her of not caring about anything anymore, except flying.

The next morning, Aunt Eleanor wakes Molly up very early and tells her to get dressed. In the car, when Molly asks where they are going, all she is told is that she'll see. Arriving at the airfield, Molly and Aunt Eleanor walk over to the plane her aunt has been practicing with. To her surprise, Molly is handed a helmet, told to put it one and the next thing she knows, she and Aunt Eleanor are flying over grandpa's farm.

Can Molly and Aunt Eleanor be reconciled, now that Molly has had a taste of the exhilaration that flying gives her aunt?

Molly Takes Flight is actually a very small book (just 47 pages), one of five separate short stories that were originally published by the Pleasant Company in 1998 about Molly McIntire, an American girl growing up in WWII (the stories has since been combined into a single book, one for each historical doll).

Written by Valerie Tripp, and illustrated by Nick Backes, who have done a number of the original American Girl stories together, Molly Takes Flight is a well written, well researched short story. It follows the same format that all the stories about the American Girl historical dolls have - a story followed by several pages giving information about the main theme - in the case the WASP program begun in 1942 and organized by Jacqueline Cochran.

Stars also play an important part in this story. Molly looks at the North Star each night, just as her dad told her to, and thinks about him. And she and her aunt star gaze whenever Molly visits the farm. At the end of Molly Takes Flight, there is a simple, but fun craft project for making a star gazer out of a round oatmeal container.

This copy of Molly Takes Flight is my Kiddo's original one, and it doesn't feel like that long ago we were reading it together, but now I have it put away with her Molly doll and her other American Girl books for the next generation, whenever that happens. And even though Molly has been retired, her books are still available.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was purchased for my Kiddo's personal library

This review was originally published at The Children's War

[ColleenaMareena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, although a bit trite. My favorite part was the history in the second half. Happy to have my 8-year-old daughter read it, and will look for others in the series.

[Shani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was simple enough for a kid to understand, but I feel it's also complex (for lack of a better term) for a teen or adult to read. I also think that it could possibly be read without reading the main, 6-book series. And if a few more details were added (which honestly, I think that could've been, unless the writer didn't feel she could), when it could be, for sure.

It's funny, this story, as I'm surprised that I like it. I usually find main character, Molly annoying, most of the time. Now, I understand where she's coming from, what's happening in her life that would make her upset, and that she probably doesn't have another way to vent her frustrations. Not to mention, at that age (9 or 10, I'm assuming) she may not even know how to deal with all these big changes and stressors properly yet.

But still, the type of character that she is, that's not a person I usually enjoy reading about. Especially if there's a lack of character growth or development. However, this was not one of those stories. I felt like by the end, Molly actually grew as a character, and got wiser (for lack of better term, again). Actually, I think all the characters grew in the end, and it was clearly shown, despite not getting to know a lot about the characters.

...I also think that you could tell things had been tense there for a while, and it had reached it climax. And it was like you (or at least I) could feel the realizations Eleanor and her parents had come to, about each others POVs, how the other felt.

The ending was also a good one. It didn't seem to end totally resolved, and like you were still unsure about what would happened, like whether or not Eleanor would be accepted for sure.


Now, when it came to how it was written, I thought a few paragraphs were too short, and a few were too blunt, with not enough description in them. Also, some of the scenes feel a little rushed, or fast paced. But then again, it's a short story, what should I expect? (Not to mention, it was later at night, and I was getting ready to go to bed.) But honestly, despite that, I thought it was tell a well-told story, and there was enough to get the point of it.

Of all the AG short stories I've read, I have to say, this may be my favorite so far. And also, it's giving me fanfiction ideas concerning Eleanor. I know it's a good story when that happens! :D

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly is a little unsure about all the changes taking place during the war. Her father is away, and now her Aunt Eleanor is trying to join the WASPs, which means she'll be going away too. As Molly struggles with the changes, she learns the value of home and having a 'north star'.

Molly Takes Flight offers a look at a young girl's perspective as her family deals with the effects of war. The story presents just enough information about the war to be informative, but also provides enough of a story that the reader can relate. Molly's feelings about her Aunt going away are very accurate and real, as are her grandparents feelings about their daughter (Molly's aunt) joining the WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots).

This book provides additional information about the WASPs in the back - a great resource for girls who are curious and want more information. There is also a craft that readers can complete.

[Bulk Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at exactly the right time, when I am feeling saddened by changing relationships and circumstances. I felt so bad for Molly in this story. Not only is she spending summer at the farm without her siblings, but now her favorite aunt is also leaving her to do something more fun and exciting. How depressing is that for a kid?

This story does what a good AG short story should do, and that’s developing the characters through the form of a historical niche. Aunt Eleanor is becoming a WASP pilot and the Looking Back section has a lot of interesting details about this little known facet of WWII. I also love that Molly helps her to understand how her parents feel about her leaving them; it’s not merely that they are resistant to change.

I remember being so excited when Aunt Eleanor made it into the movie. I felt so seen because I’d read this before!

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly's Aunt Eleanor is planning on joining the WASPS- the Women's Airforce Service Pilots, a group of women who flew test planes and transported things to aid the soldiers. (No women were allowed to be fighter pilots at the time.)

This doesn't sit well with Molly's grandmother, though. Her Aunt Eleanor ends up taking Molly for a flight (which she loves) and that helps with her grandmother.

The historical section is about the women pilots and what they did, and it's information you don't find very often.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a good message, and I thought the story did a nice job of portraying the war in a simple and yet understandable manner. I would probably recommend to people who were already a fan of the Molly series.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...