Amelia Earhart: Little People, Big Dreams by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Amelia Earhart: Little People, Big Dreams is about the journey of the well-known pilot Amelia Earhart. Not only was she famous for her skills as a pilot, but she is known as the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She was determined and did not let the fear of failure stop her from making history. She set many records and had many accomplishments throughout her life. The book talks about what her life was like and how she became the woman that shocked the world.

When Amelia was a little girl, she liked to imagine she could stretch her wings and fly like a bird.

When she was older, she went to an air show. The planes soared into the sky, leaving Amelia on the ground. She wished she could go with them and see what they saw.

She got a ride in an airplane and liked it so much she didn’t want to ever come down.

So Amelia learned to fly. After months of practicing, she became the first woman to fly up to 14,000 feet.

With a mechanic and a pilot, she was also the first woman to try and fly over the enormous Atlantic ocean. As they set off, she waved at whales far beneath her.

After many hours, they reached land. The world looked small, so small. The houses and cars were like toys.

Even though Amelia wasn’t flying the plane, when they landed she became famous. People around the world were inspired by her story.

Amelia thought that every girl deserved to fly, so she founded a club with 98 other fearless pilots. A little later, she flew across the Atlantic all by herself.

As her 40th birthday approached, Amelia decided she wanted one final challenge: to fly around the world. A brave navigator went with her.

They flew for thousands of miles, over oceans and jungles. . .

. . . and over the savanna, where giraffes turned their heads in their trail. Some people said the journey was crazy.

But Amelia wasn’t afraid of living a thousand adventures. So she flew on like a bird, farther than anyone had gone before. . .

. . . never to return.

Because Amelia always followed her own advice, “if you want to do something, do it.”

You never know how far you could get!

Discussion:

1. How could Amelia Earhart be described as?
2. How did you feel while reading/listening to the book?
3. What do you think happened to Amelia?

Activity:

Get into a small group and brainstorm ideas as to what obstacles Amelia Earhart must have faced in order to become a female pilot.