2 minute read
Book Review
Author: Lisa M. Bolt Simons Publisher: Capstone Press Reviewer: Heather Brady, Children's Library Associate, Moore Public Library
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The U.S. WASP: Trailblazing Women Pilots of World War II is an interesting and informative read in our children's nonfiction section.
By becoming pilots there were more than 1,000 history making women that joined the WASP program between 1939 and 1945. Since there were only 20 years between World War I and II the U.S. was still recovering when the second war broke out. The military needed more soldiers but women were not allowed to fight at the time.
Two women by the names of Jackie Cochran and Nancy Harkness Love were responsible for helping women fly for their country. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was pleased with the idea of women pilots, however the military was not ready to embrace the idea. After some time had passed and the need for pilots grew more urgent General Harold George approved the women pilots to be sworn into civil service and to begin their training.
More than 25,000 women applied to become pilots. Out of that number 1,830 were chosen to start the WASP program. In the end 1,074 women graduated to become America's first female pilots at a time of war.
Although many women fought and died during the war they didn't receive the same recognition and benefits as their male counterparts. Not only did the government not pay for their funerals but WASP members were not allowed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery until 2002 when a bill was passed to allow WASP members to be laid to rest at Arlington with full military honors.
The U.S. WASP is a wonderful educational book about the struggles of America's first female pilots during war time. It's a fairly fast read with a lot of information and facts. At the end of the book there is a timeline to refer to as well as critical thinking questions that would be great to be used in a classroom. It is also an AR book at a 5.9 reading level and is worth 0.5 points.
Moore Public Library has many books on this subject matter. We would love for you to stop by or call the children’s department at 793-4347 for more book recommendations!
