Born To Fly

Ever since she can remember, Bird has loved flying in small propeller airplanes with her mechanic dad. When the local airstrip is turned into a military flight school, Bird is in heaven—and she manages to turn one young airman's interest in her older sister into some personal flight lessons. Then a young Japanese American student named Kenji Fujita joins Bird's class, and the entire school seems to be convinced that he's a spy, a secret agent, or at the very least, that he and his uncle want the Japs to win. But through a class project, Bird and Kenji befriend each other and accidentally discover real spy activity in the area. So begins an adventure that will shake the town and may even change the future of the United States. Winner of the Dell Yearling Contest

Discover country music star Sara Evans’s inspirational story about her rise to stardom, her roundabout path to love, and how her faith brings daily joy no matter the circumstances. Sara Evans—a Billboard, ACM, and CMA Award–winning country music star who’s been named one of People’s “50 Most Beautiful People” and competed on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars—has been inspiring fans throughout her successful music career. In this powerful, personal, and often humorous book, Sara opens up and shares stories from her career, describing what it’s like living in the spotlight and how her faith keeps her strong. She writes about overcoming life’s most challenging experiences, from a childhood accident that nearly took her life, to the loss she experienced when her parents divorced, and from her own painful and very public divorce, to finding incredible love when she least expected it with former pro quarterback-turned-sportscaster Jay Barker. Now, after over a decade of marriage, Sara and Jay’s blended family of nine is thriving, filling her life with focus and meaning. As she weaves the narrative of her life, Sara candidly reveals the things that are most important to her and her family now, her favorite tips about staying true to herself and her faith, knowing when to ask for help, abandoning perfectionism, and the importance of a strong support group of friends and family. Fans old and new will enjoy this inspiring, heartfelt book.

Born to Fly is the gripping story of the fearless women pilots who aimed for the skies—and beyond. Just nine years after American women finally got the right to vote, a group of trailblazers soared to new heights in the 1929 Air Derby, the first women's air race across the U.S. Follow the incredible lives of legend Amelia Earhart, who has captivated generations; Marvel Crosson, who built a plane before she even learned how to fly; Louise Thaden, who shattered jaw-dropping altitude records; and Elinor Smith, who at age seventeen made headlines when she flew under the Brooklyn Bridge. These awe-inspiring stories culminate in a suspenseful, nail-biting rate across the country that brings to life the glory and grit of the dangerous and thrilling early days of flying, expertly told by the master of nonfiction history for young readers, National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin. Featuring illustrations by Bijou Karman.

The thrilling and entertaining lives of New Zealand’s helicopter dynasty. Three generations of Reids have flown helicopters. It’s in their blood. First there was John, a World War Two fighter pilot. After the war he used helicopters for things no one dreamed possible, carrying out 300 rescue missions and training a generation of Kiwi pilots along the way. Next there was John’s son Bill, who began flying in the early 1970s, during the dangerous venison recovery and live capture years. Over the course of his 40-year career, Bill flew helicopters for almost every kind of job you can imagine, from mountain rescue to Hollywood location scouting. He’s since restored an Avro Anson Mk I reconnaissance bomber, used in World War Two and the only airworthy craft of its type left in the world. And finally there’s Toby and his wife Rachael, whose helicopter business continues the legacy of 60 trailblazing years in helicopter aviation. Adventure, enterprise and courage ... Born to Fly tells you how the Reids have it in bucketloads.

Born to Fly : How to Discover and Encourage Your Child's Natural Gifts

Sometimes, it can feel as though we are living in the worst of times--a world of chaos, uncertainty, and breakdown. But could this also be the best of times--a crucible of change in which a wiser and more spiritually mature future is being forged? The stars are most clearly visible in the deepest darkness. The butterfly emerges out of the worst meltdown of the chrysalis. In Born to Fly, Margaret Silf helps us to explore what it would mean for each of us to be such an emerging butterfly--to be an agent of spiritual transformation in our own lives and in the world around us. What kind of future do we desire for ourselves, for those who follow after us, and for the whole of creation? And, if the choices we make today are shaping that future, how might we learn to make those choices more wisely? The second part of the book takes us on a gentle journey in five stages through the process of transformation mapped out for us by the caterpillar as it changes from a pesky garden grub, taking what it wants without regard for the rest of creation, to a butterfly, giving life wherever it lands. Born to Fly is designed to be read for personal reflection and inspiration, or alongside fellow readers, with suggestions for further discussion. It is a companion book to Margaret Silf's Hidden Wings.

“I will never forget my first flight, the feeling of being pushed back in the seat, the rumbling that suddenly turned into silence. It fascinated me then, it does now.” When Ryan Campbell was six, he fell in love with aeroplanes. Inspired by his first flight, and his uncle and grandfather who were both aviators, flying was a passion that dominated his childhood. It was no surprise to his family and friends when at 15 Ryan became the youngest pilot in Australia. Then he found a challenge that spoke to him more than the rest... In Born to Fly, Ryan recounts his remarkable journey from a boy with a dream to becoming, at age 19, the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe solo in a single–engine aircraft. Drawing on the advice of renowned aviators such as Dick Smith, Jim Hazelton ('a man who has more hours adjusting his seat in a plane than I do total flying time') and mentor Ken Evers, Ryan fundraised and planned with great determination, before finally setting out on his thrilling 70–day odyssey, landing 34 times in 15 countries and covering more than 24,000 nautical miles. From his wings icing up over Greenland's glaciers to a heart–stopping moment in the midst of Indonesian airspace; abuse from an airport official in Greece, to awe at the sight of molten lava entering the Pacific, this real–life adventure story shares with us the dry–mouthed terror and heady exhilaration of flying alone with only one engine. Born to Fly is a fascinating view of the world from above from an inspiring young Australian. 'The most extraordinary aviation adventure of the decade. A great story in the spirit of Charles Kingsford–Smith and Bert Hinkler.' – Dick Smith