Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of "Brave Bessie" Coleman

As someone who has taught children for over 12 years, not counting the many more I spent raising my own, biographies - good biographies - are among the best books one can read to young ones or provide them with the opportunity for them to read it themselves, if they are able. Who says you cannot own the sky? Bessie Coleman was a young African-American woman had to go to France to earn her pilot's licence, the first African-American woman to do so. Most people in the US believed that neither women nor African Americans had the intelligence to fly an aeroplane. Bessie proved them wrong! She amazed crowds all over the world with here outstanding stunt flying. She was an inspiration for children and adults of all "races." She died in a crash, when her aircraft malfunctioned during a particularly dangerous stunt. Maybe the aircraft hit the ground, but Bessie did not; her soul went straight to heaven. Her story is told beautifully in a superb children's book, "Nobody Owns the Sky," by Reeve Lindbergh, the gifted daughter of none other than Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. (My former students may remember the book, when I brought it in last year as part of my surreptitious observation of Black History Month.) The story narrates her life beautifully; Ms. Coleman's death is told in a way that is sympathetic to the young audience for whom this book is intended, neither whitewashing what happened nor making her death something scary. Ms. Lindbergh's style of rhymes works for me; Jane Yolen used it well in her biography of Katherine Wright, the sister of the famous Wright brothers. "Nobody Owns the Sky" offers children much to think about, especially when the book is used during Black History Month or Women's History Month. Sadly, racism in aviation did not end with Bessie Coleman. That would not come until the exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen, several decades later, whose heroism, like that of Bessie Coleman, provides an enduring legacy.I am an Amazon.com top reviewer. Aircraft and aviation history are passions of mine. I am available as a freelance writer to help authors gain greater Web presence for their works and will happily review sample copies of books and related aviation items. It would be a conflict of interest to charge a fee, but I do need a sample.

Quick - name a female aviator!Yes, yes, Amelia Earhart. Now name another one. Can't do it, can you? Well, how about Bessie Coleman - first African-American, man or woman to have a pilot's license, and first American of ANY race or gender to have an international pilot's license - and she did it two years before Amelia, too! (She had to go overseas to get that license, because flight schools in the US wouldn't take a black aviator, and black aviators in the US wouldn't train a woman.)Aviators in general make great picture book heroes, doing something that was brand new and scary and didn't involve deliberate violence. And Bessie Coleman - wow! She ought to be better known!So why only three stars? Because, honestly, I don't think this book offers a good treatment of her.The artwork is so-so, but I could live with that. What I can't live with are the words. I have nothing against a rhyming book. However, this book has a very set jaunty rhythm with a rhyme scheme that runs A-A-A-A-A-A for every verse. The end result is that major issues such as racism, sexism, and Bessie Coleman's eventual *death* come out sounding like... like humor! The nicest thing I can say about it is that it's clunky:Bessie's life was not long, but she flew far and wideIn Chicago she showed off a Richthofen GlideHer air shows in Boston left crowds starry-eyed;But in Jacksonville, Florida, everyone criedBecause Bessie's plane failed, and she fell, and she died"Farewell to Brave Bessie", they sighedIt goes on like that for the whole book. And the little coda that takes her specific accomplishments and turns them into a general paean about flying like birds is... well, I'm not a great fan of it.I'm going to try Talkin' 'bout Bessie instead. Maybe that'll give me what I was looking for here.

What an inspiring story for children to read. Bessie Coleman overcame various obstacles to become the first Black Aviator in the world, I believe that all children can benefit from her story and see that if they want to achieve something it takes determination and a "Can-Do" attitude. The rhyming pattern used to tell the story was great for younger grade-level students and the illustrations were colorful as well. I had an opportunity to read this to second graders, they were actively engaged. I followed up with a arts & craft activity based on the story, which students enjoyed. I would recommend this book, not only for Black History Month or Women's History Month, but anytime of the year.

Provide information for my African American granddaughter about a early pioneer.

For starters I do not think that anyone better could write this book than the daughter of a pilot and a poet. The story is written like a poem but is easy to understand and tells a great story. It is a great book to real aloud to children because of its great rhythm as well as its amazing message. Bessie Coleman beat the odds of her time which said neither women nor blacks could fly, Bessie was both and Bessie flew. It just goes to show you that Nobody, no government nor stigmas nor biases can control the heavens.

This is a great book about an almost forgotten American hero. This book will not only inspire young girls of all backgrounds but will be entertaining and informative for boys too. It will and should spark the desire in adults to learn about the great Bessie Coleman.

It's well written, a wonderful reclamation of a little know but important historical figure and it's inspiring. It's a must read and must have for every child. I always give this book as a gift for children I love.

For several years I used this precious story in my classroom for units on heroes, flight or Black History month. It was well suited for primary and junior classes. The students never got tired of Brave Bessie.Thanks, Reeve!

Loved this story it was inspirational. Helped to get the moral across about not giving up.

Great