Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting bio of '20s female pilot who found fame with stunt.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
After her first airplane ride in 1917, at age 6, Elinor Smith knew she wanted to be a pilot. At age 10 she started flying lessons, and got her license at age 16. She became famous in 1928 for being the first person to fly under all four bridges across New York's East River -- when she was just 17. She did it on a dare to prove that girls could be as good -- or better -- than men at flying planes.
Is It Any Good?
SOAR, ELINOR is an inspiring, exciting, beautifully illustrated picture book biography. Not only does it show a brave, talented girl defying gender bias, it also tells a rollicking good story of someone training hard for a goal and bravely attempting a record-breaking feat. The author's play by play as Elinor takes on each bridge in her daring journey is suspenseful and thrilling. Francois Roca's stunning paintings capture both the era and the determination of this amazing young woman.
An Author's Note gives more biographical infromation about Elinor's life after her bridges stunt, including the fact that in 2000, at age 89, she "flew" the NASA Space Shuttle Simulator. In a note about her sources, author Tami Lewis Brown, a licensed pilot, recalls long interviews with Elinor and her son Patrick Sullivan, during which "I held her goggles to my face and wore her flight helmet." As part of her research, Brown and her 10-year-old son flew -- and did loops and spins in -- an antique plane similar to Elinor's.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about women breaking barriers. Have you read other books about girls or women who broke into a male-dominated field?
Has anyone ever told you you couldn't do something because you're a girl? How does that make you feel? Why do you think some people think girls are less capable?
Do you like reading about people who lived in a different time from your own? What kinds of details do you notice in the illustrations that show it was a different time from ours?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Francois Roca
- Genre : Biography
- Topics : Adventures , History
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : October 12, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate