• Age: 6 to 8
• Grade: 1 to 3

As young men, Orville and Wilbur Wright had a dream. They believed that one day people would fly, and they were determined to be the first. Despite setbacks that would have discouraged many inventors, the Wright brothers' dream came true. From a windy sand dune near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they made a short 36-meter flight — and flew into aviation history.
This biography in the Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History series uses photographs, newspaper clippings, maps, quotes and drawings to explore the Wright brothers' struggles. Also included are timelines of their lives and the history of flight, and a listing of pertinent Web sites.

Liz is one nosy author, which is why she loves writing non-fiction. She’s very curious about why people do what they do, and likes sharing with kids the amazing facts and secrets that she uncovers.As a kid in Thornhill, Ontario, the idea of being a writer never crossed Liz’s mind—she figured most authors were already dead and they definitely weren’t Canadian. Besides, it was science that interested Liz.But writing was already part of Liz’s life. After dinner on school nights, Liz and her two brothers would trudge up to their rooms, close their doors and start to do their homework—or so their parents thought. A few minutes later, a piece of paper would come sliding under Liz’s door. One of her brothers had drawn a picture, usually of some weird creature.Liz really couldn’t draw (still can’t!), so the only way she could respond was to write a short story, often about a mad scientist or space alien. She would slip the story under her brother’s door and—well, not a lot of homework got done.At university, Liz studied sciences—there was hardly any writing involved at all. But after university, she was hired as an editor at OWL magazine, where she could combine writing and her love of science. But it wasn’t long before Liz had a goal: to write a book. Her first one was about lions and since then she’s written more than fifty others.Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns (2008) is one of her favourite books because royalty has always fascinated Liz. She loved going behind the scenes with monarchs from Cleopatra to Dracula to find out just what they would do to hold onto power or protect their families.Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries (2013) was the winner of numerous awards, including the Crime Writers of Canada 2014 Arthur Ellis Award in the Juvenile/YA category. Liz’s latest book with Annick Press, Galloping Through History: Incredible True Horse Stories (Spring 2015), combines, once again, her outstanding storytelling skills with her passion for history. This time her love of animals also shines through as she recounts the stories of six horses that changed the way humans live, travel, fight, work, and play.Liz lives in Toronto with her husband, Paul, and their cat Cosimo. While she writes, he is usually sprawled across her desk—often right on the book she needs for research!

Elizabeth MacLeod's profile page

• Short-listed, Red Cedar Book Award
• Winner, Our Choice, Canadian Children’s Book Centre
• Short-listed, Science in Society Book Award, Canadian Science Writers’ Association

Although most libraries own several books on the Wright brothers, few of them can rival this one for clarity of text and variety of illustration. An excellent time line on the lives of the Wright brothers and the history of light is included. With its wealth of illustrative material, this title will especially appeal to reluctant readers and browsers.

School Library Journal

Full of interesting facts and well-captioned, period photos, this book is a good starting point for information on the lives and accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Booklist

No ordinary Biography of the Wright brother, this account features a scrapbooklike layout that will appeal to reluctant readers.

Book Links

The Wright Brothers (Kids Can Read 3)