In a just released children’s book, Jack Knight’s Brave Flight by Jill Esbaum, the nonfiction story follows a little-known story of how air mail almost didn’t get into the postal system. In the early days of aviation, mail traveled more commonly by train. Looking back on history, we can see how inefficient that was. Jack Knight, in 1921, was part of a group of early aviators who set out to prove that lawmakers should not cut funding for the U. S. Air Mail Service. Lawmakers considered the fact that mail at the time had to be flown in daylight hours and crashes were common.
Jack took off straight into a blizzard without modern tracking devices without adequate fuel and dependent on lights from airfields to guide him in. When the workers on those fields went home for the night and lights were turned off, the mission was in danger.
This true story makes a good read for a young reader who likes nonfiction and an even better read for sharing aloud with an adult who can remember how the postal service has changed over the years and knows how dependent on it we have become. A final surprise problem as Jack lands his plane will tickle the young reader, and probably the old one as well.
Abundant back matter adds to the information in the author’s note, historical pictures, and a short historical time line. The book is a natural for children who love nonfiction and for inclusion in school and public libraries.