SKY HIGH

Maggie Gee longed to fly—but she grew up in the 1930s, when many women were not allowed to pilot planes. Instead, she watched in rapture at the airport, soaking up every detail of flight. After many years of dreaming, World War II suddenly changed Maggie’s life forever. To serve her country, she joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots—she was finally able to fly. Maggie was only one of two Chinese-American women in the WASP and was on occasion mistaken for an enemy pilot. But that never dampened her spirit. She just climbed back in her plane and looped through the sky. Moss tells Maggie’s story in first-person narration, giving the text an immediate and personal tone, although the liberal and uncredited use of dialogue places this squarely in the realm of fiction. Angel’s bold, bright acrylics burst forth with Maggie’s determination and passion. In one spread, Maggie stands in a field with arms held wide—as her shadow casts the form of the plane she yearns to fly. An inspirational tale of an inspirational woman. (author’s note, photos) (Picture book. 6-10)