Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared Into America’s Heart

While Amelia Earhart is a household name, Ruth Elder (1902–1977) is not. Cummins, who wrote about trailblazing women in books like Women Daredevils and Women Explorers, stitches together anecdotes about this female aviator, whose (unsuccessful) attempt to cross the Atlantic predated that of Earhart. Throughout, Cummins makes clear the kind of dismissive attitudes female pilots faced. “Most people, men and women, believed that a woman belonged in the kitchen and not a cockpit,” she writes. And in 1929, when 20 pilots including Elder took part in an all-women air race, a reporter grouses, “The only thing worse than dames in planes is dames racing planes.” While Laugesen’s smudgy illustrations don’t generate much of a sense of action, Elder and her fellow pioneers come across as plenty heroic. Additional facts and resources wrap up this quick overview of Elder’s life. Ages 6–9. (July)