Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2021 Gr 1–5—This narrative nonfiction book tells the story of September 29, 1909, when Wilbur Wright exhibited his technological marvel, a flying machine. Burleigh's compelling narrative allows readers to feel the excitement of the crowd and Wright's anxiety over the machine working properly and fears for his own safety. The sensory details that Burleigh adds lend a personal connection to the event. The beautiful gouache watercolors on double-page spreads allow readers to appreciate the scale of the plane and the Statue of Liberty as well as the skyline of the city and the boats in the New York harbor. Even the end papers of the book add to the story—the front end papers are a reproduction of a newspaper account of the event and the back are a map of the flight path. The author's notes also provide some surprising information. One of the people in the crowd that day, shown in the book in sepia-toned pages and panels, was 10-year-old Juan Trippe, who was so inspired by the flight that he eventually became an aviator himself and went on to found Pan American Airways. Readers of all ages will enjoy this very well-told story. VERDICT This is a must-have for any collection that has elementary school aged patrons. It would be an excellent book for teaching lessons on perseverance, inventions, American history, narrative nonfiction, or biographies.—Debbie Tanner, S.D. Spady Montessori Elem., FL - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/15/2021 Burleigh’s exciting account of Wilbur Wright's spectacular demonstration flight around the Statue of Liberty unfolds from two perspectives, captured through different narrative voices and color palettes. The main story is told in the third person, with its illustrations appearing in full color, while young Juan’s first-person thoughts on the event bookend (and occasionally punctuate) the tale and are softly cast in sepia tones. In both sections, the story and the illustrations charmingly capture the wonder of early flight. Many of the details depicted in the story are explained further in a final section of interesting facts. Some of these tidbits are merely pieces of trivia, while others are important in enhancing understanding of the story. For example, this section reveals that Juan grew up to become an aviator himself and then the founder of Pan Am Airways. This interesting fact explains the boy's seemingly random presence in the story. Fans of early aviation will enjoy this book, but they should make sure not to skip the back matter. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.