Soar, Elinor
When old timers said airplanes were for men and boys ten-year-old Elinor Smith didn’t listen. When they said she couldn’t fly under New York’s East River bridges she said “Yes, I can!”
Elinor climbed into the cockpit, broke world records and became a teenaged test pilot. In 1930, The New Yorker Magazine said “(F)eminism would do rather well to claim Miss Smith.”
SOAR, ELINOR! is the true story of daring pioneer pilot Elinor Smith. It’s beautiful illustrations were painted by Francois Roca and was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Reviews & Accolades
- Named one of the Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books of 2010
- American Library Association’s Amelia Bloomer Project top 10 feminist books of 2011
- 2011 National Children’s Book Council/National Council for the Social Studies Notable Book for Young People.
- Junior Library Guild Selection
- Featured in Kirkus’ Fall Preview Supplement
“Look out Amelia Earhart… Debut author Brown skillfully builds suspense as Elinor studies each bridge, plans her route, and takes flight, leading to a nail-biting conclusion.” – Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“Brown’s prose is crystalline, lively and reads well aloud. Roca captures the air and sky beautifully” – Kirkus
“Some people were born to fly, and Elinor Smith (1911-2010) was one of them. In her assured picture-book debut, Tami Lewis Brown introduces Elinor as a 6-year-old begging to ride in a biplane…[A]erial feats to merit a sequel to this book.” – Washington Post
“The language of Washington author Tami Lewis Brown spins and soars in this picture-book biography of pioneering aviatrix Elinor Smith…” – Washington Parent
“This is an excellent introduction to a lesser-known but fascinating adventurer.” — School Library Journal
“Inspiration soars from every page.” — Booklist
Fantastic reviews also fly in for the French edition L’INCROYABLE EXPLOIT D’ELINOR! Elinor Smith, née pour voler (Elinor Smith, born to fly) from Belgium’s Le Soir.
“Vertigineux! (Breathtaking!)” from France’s Telerama.
“Un livre qui donne des ailes (A book that gives wings)” from France’s Le Journal des Enfants
