WIND FLYERS

Wind Flyers

Written by: Angela Johnson

                                                         Illustrated by: Loren Long              

Simon and Schuster, 2007

30 Pages

Realistic Fiction

            I chose to read Wind Flyers due to the magnificent illustrations. Wind Flyers is a story that involves a young boy and his great-great-uncle who was a wind flyer during WWII.  The uncle shares his stories about how he, from a very young age, always dreamed of flying. The story follows the uncle’s journey in making his dreams come true and how flying makes him feel. Presently, the uncle and his nephew share flying together and their feelings about flying.

           The illustrations in this story are done with acrylic paints and are beautifully done. The art catches the history and emotion in an almost realistic form. The illustrator, Loren Long, and the author, Angela Johnson, both formed a visual setting in Barbara. While the story itself is beautifully written, I personally favor the illustrations and feel that they themselves create the story.

           Wind Flyers has not won any awards, but the author is a three-time Coretta Scott King Award-winner. The book provides many history lessons incorporated in one. The history topics this story brings for discussion are plane history, WWII airmen history, and Alabama history. Although the story’s lessons would primarily revolve around history it could also be used for adjective lessons, comparing and contrasting, relationship building, relating activities, or for lessons on poetic form. Due to the history content and higher thinking activity opportunities in the book I would recommend this story for middle elementary children, but it is appropriate for all ages.