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Skybound!

Starring Mary Myers as Carlotta, Daredevil Aeronaut and Scientist

Author Sue Ganz-Schmitt

Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

Hardcover

$18.99 US

Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek

9.44"W x 11.31"H x 0.42"D | 19 oz | 24 per carton

On sale Apr 16, 2024 | 48 Pages | 9781635928150

Age 7-10 years

Reading Level: Lexile 660L | Fountas & Pinnell T

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2025 Best STEM Book Winner
2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner

In this STEAM picture book, take to the skies with Mary Myers, aka “Carlotta,” an aeronaut and inventor whose careful scientific work improved balloons and our understanding of flight, weather patterns, and the atmosphere.

★ Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ Foreword Reviews, starred review

In the 1850s, proper young ladies were supposed to keep their feet on the ground (literally and metaphorically), but Mary dreamed of flying. Luckily, she married Carl Myers, a balloon enthusiast whose dreams were just as lofty as hers. Together, they designed and constructed balloons of all shapes and sizes, a difficult and dangerous job that required knowledge of chemistry, engineering, and meteorology. But how could they know which balloon designs worked best? They needed someone adventurous who could do balloon tricks for crowds while recording flight data. Mary knew just the person . . . herself! She gave herself the stage name Carlotta and anxiously awaited her first flight. Would she make it into the air? Could she collect the data they needed? Mary battled thick clouds and bone-chilling cold, but she went higher and farther than she hoped, and returned ready for her next flight.

Sue Ganz-Schmitt is a children’s book author, musical theater producer, and a philanthropist. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in writing for children and young adults. Her books include That Monster on the Block, Now I’m a Bird, Planet Kindergarten, and Planet Kindergarten: 100 Days in Orbit. She lives Los Angeles County, CA. Visit sueganzschmitt.com. View titles by Sue Ganz-Schmitt

Iacopo Bruno a graphic designer and illustrator. His picture books include Bartali's Bicycle, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Awards; Sergeant Reckless; Anything But Ordinary Addie; and Mesmerized. He has also illustrated several chapter book series, including Sherlock, Lupin & Me; The School for Good and Evil; and The Story Collector. He lives in Milan, Italy. Visit theworldofdot.com and iiacopobruno.blogspot.it. View titles by Iacopo Bruno

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• Rwanda

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• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

• San Marino

• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

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• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

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A NSTA-CBC Best STEM Book

★ "Loaded with information, this meticulously researched tale about one high-flying woman’s exploits will captivate readers; quotes from Mary/Carlotta are incorporated. The crisp ink illustrations are superb, beautifully capturing period details and settings; note some eye-popping typesetting creativity. This fascinating book flies high and definitely rises to the occasion." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "The life of Mary Myers takes flight in this captivating biographical picture book about a barrier-busting woman scientist...Stunning illustrations with intricate details follow the highs and lows—literally—of her life andcareer. Her story will inspire budding scientists to let their dreams carry them up, up, and away." —Foreword Reviews, starred review

"The amazing account is beautifully told via urgent, animated text and elegant illustrations. Bruno intersperses delightful depictions of antique ephemera (posters, certificates, blueprints) throughout...A soaring story of a remarkable and memorable woman." —Booklist

“Ganz-Schmitt’s engaging narrative and Bruno’s vibrant, ink-based illustrations bring a remarkable journey to life… A captivating read for early elementary children and anyone who’s ever had their head or heart in the clouds.” –School Library Journal

Educator Guide for Skybound!

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

About

Creators

Available for sale exclusive:

• Afghanistan

• Aland Islands

• Albania

• Algeria

• Andorra

• Angola

• Anguilla

• Antarctica

• Antigua/Barbuda

• Argentina

• Armenia

• Aruba

• Australia

• Austria

• Azerbaijan

• Bahamas

• Bahrain

• Bangladesh

• Barbados

• Belarus

• Belgium

• Belize

• Benin

• Bermuda

• Bhutan

• Bolivia

• Bonaire, Saba

• Bosnia Herzeg.

• Botswana

• Bouvet Island

• Brazil

• Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter

• Brit.Virgin Is.

• Brunei

• Bulgaria

• Burkina Faso

• Burundi

• Cambodia

• Cameroon

• Canada

• Cape Verde

• Cayman Islands

• Centr.Afr.Rep.

• Chad

• Chile

• China

• Christmas Islnd

• Cocos Islands

• Colombia

• Comoro Is.

• Congo

• Cook Islands

• Costa Rica

• Croatia

• Cuba

• Curacao

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic

• Dem. Rep. Congo

• Denmark

• Djibouti

• Dominica

• Dominican Rep.

• Ecuador

• Egypt

• El Salvador

• Equatorial Gui.

• Eritrea

• Estonia

• Ethiopia

• Falkland Islnds

• Faroe Islands

• Fiji

• Finland

• France

• Fren.Polynesia

• French Guinea

• Gabon

• Gambia

• Georgia

• Germany

• Ghana

• Gibraltar

• Greece

• Greenland

• Grenada

• Guadeloupe

• Guam

• Guatemala

• Guernsey

• Guinea Republic

• Guinea-Bissau

• Guyana

• Haiti

• Heard/McDon.Isl

• Honduras

• Hong Kong

• Hungary

• Iceland

• India

• Indonesia

• Iran

• Iraq

• Ireland

• Isle of Man

• Israel

• Italy

• Ivory Coast

• Jamaica

• Japan

• Jersey

• Jordan

• Kazakhstan

• Kenya

• Kiribati

• Kuwait

• Kyrgyzstan

• Laos

• Latvia

• Lebanon

• Lesotho

• Liberia

• Libya

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Macau

• Macedonia

• Madagascar

• Malawi

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Mali

• Malta

• Marshall island

• Martinique

• Mauritania

• Mauritius

• Mayotte

• Mexico

• Micronesia

• Minor Outl.Ins.

• Moldavia

• Monaco

• Mongolia

• Montenegro

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Myanmar

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nepal

• Netherlands

• New Caledonia

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Niue

• Norfolk Island

• North Korea

• North Mariana

• Norway

• Oman

• Pakistan

• Palau

• Palestinian Ter

• Panama

• PapuaNewGuinea

• Paraguay

• Peru

• Philippines

• Pitcairn Islnds

• Poland

• Portugal

• Puerto Rico

• Qatar

• Reunion Island

• Romania

• Russian Fed.

• Rwanda

• S. Sandwich Ins

• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

• San Marino

• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

• St.Chr.,Nevis

• St.Pier,Miquel.

• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

• Svalbard

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Syria

• Tadschikistan

• Taiwan

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Timor-Leste

• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

• Tonga

• Trinidad,Tobago

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• Turkmenistan

• Turks&Caicos Is

• Tuvalu

• US Virgin Is.

• USA

• Uganda

• Ukraine

• Unit.Arab Emir.

• United Kingdom

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

• Wallis,Futuna

• West Saharan

• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Praise

Teacher Guides

Educator Guide for Skybound!

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

Skybound!

Starring Mary Myers as Carlotta, Daredevil Aeronaut and Scientist

Educator Guide for Skybound!

About

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Educator Guide for Skybound!

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Skybound!

Starring Mary Myers as Carlotta, Daredevil Aeronaut and Scientist

Educator Guide for Skybound!

About

Creators

Rights

Praise

Teacher Guides

Educator Guide for Skybound!

Penguin Random House

About Comics Retail

RETAILER CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTACTS