Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WWII

This work of creative nonfiction opens in 1927 with the introduction of three girls—Chinese-American Hazel in San Francisco; Lilya in the English countryside; and Marlene in small-town Russia. They don’t know one another, but they share a common aspiration: to pilot planes. During WWII, Hazel joins the Women Airforce Service Pilots; Marlene, the Air Transport Auxiliary; and Lilya, an all-female combat regiment. Deng’s graphics vary from striking compositions reminiscent of WWII-era posters to dramatic views of soaring planes under enemy fire. Readers may be confused as to the story’s verisimilitude: an author’s note alludes to real-life pilot Hazel Ying Lee, but it’s unclear whether Lilya and Marlene were actual people. Nevertheless, the message of women’s empowerment across generations is clear. A final spread depicts an array of female service members, astronauts, and pilots, for whom pilots like Hazel, Lilya, and Marlene blazed the trail. Ages 7–up. [em](Sept.) [/em]