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Flygirl

Author Sherri L. Smith

Paperback

$12.99 US

Penguin Young Readers | Penguin Books

5.5"W x 8.25"H x 0.83"D | 10 oz | 40 per carton

On sale Sep 16, 2010 | 304 Pages | 9780142417256

Age 12 and up

Reading Level: Lexile HL680L

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For fans of Unbroken and Ruta Sepetys.

All Ida Mae Jones wants to do is fly. Her daddy was a pilot, and years after his death she feels closest to him when she's in the air. But as a young black woman in 1940s Louisiana, she knows the sky is off limits to her, until America enters World War II, and the Army forms the WASP-Women Airforce Service Pilots. Ida has a chance to fulfill her dream if she's willing to use her light skin to pass as a white girl. She wants to fly more than anything, but Ida soon learns that denying one's self and family is a heavy burden, and ultimately it's not what you do but who you are that's most important.

Read Sherri L. Smith's posts on the Penguin Blog

Sherri L. Smith is not a pilot, but she makes an excellent passenger (unless it’s a very small plane). She is the author of numerous acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books for young people, including Flygirl, the winner of the California Book Awards’ Gold Medal; The Blossom and the Firefly, the winner of the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; Orleans; and Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen? She teaches creative writing at Hamline University. Born in Chicago, Sherri now lives in Los Angeles. Learn more at SherriLSmith.com and follow her on Twitter @Sherri_L_Smith. View titles by Sherri L. Smith

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The Washington Post Best Kids' Books of the Year
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
California Book Awards Young Adult Gold Medal Winner
Texas Tayshas High School Reading List
Children's Indie Next List
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
Capital Choices Noteworthy Books for Children
Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices

"This breakthrough title adds a new story to the shelves of World War II books." --Booklist, starred review

-A dynamic, heartfelt novel. --The Washington Post

-A thrilling, but little-known story that begs to be told. The book is at once informative and entertaining. --School Library Journal

"This well-told, interesting story moves along at a good clip . . . A vibrant picture of WWII women and of Jim Crow as it was then." --Kirkus Reviews

"It was hard not to find myself cheering Ida Mae on. Hard not to get an itch to fly after reading this. Sherri Smith is a truly talented writer and Flygirl is a wonderful story." --Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-winning author

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