Flying Free
How Bessie Coleman's Dreams Took Flight

This biography is written in lively, crisp rhyme and reveals a young black woman whose dream of flying would not be stopped. The text is brief but concise and moves through Bessie’s life with each page turn. Read and compare this book with the earlier Nikki Grimes book: Talkin’ About Bessie, in whic......more

Relying on rhyming lines and repetitive phrases such as "Black bird. Black girl" for visual effects, this picture book highlights the inspiring story of Bessie Coleman. Growing up in rural Texas, Bessie dreamed of doing something special although she was uncertain about what that might be. Eventuall......more

I chose this book because of the illustrations and message of never giving up. The topics for this book are perseverance and history. This book tells about the story of Bessie Coleman who was the first African American woman to earn her pilot's license. Though Bessie faced racism and endured gruelin......more

Bessie was a little girl with a big imagination that took her to the sky, through the clouds, and past the birds. Knocking down barriers one by one, Bessie endured racism and grueling training to become the first Black female pilot and an inspiration to Mae Jemison, Josephine Baker, and many more in......more

Ages 3-8. Compared to “Fly High! The Story of Bessie Coleman” by Louise Borden, this is a more light-hearted, joyful version of the story, and also does not include as many conversations about class, labor, and race. This is a good first introduction of Bessie Coleman to children, until they are rea......more