Skybound!: Starring Mary Myers as Carlotta, Daredevil Aeronaut and Scientist

by Sue Ganz-Schmitt Narrated by Lori Gardner

Overview

Mary Myers always dreamed of flying, but she lived when women were often told to stay put and stay quiet. Determined and fearless, Mary wouldn't stay tied down. With the help of her husband, she transformed into Carlotta, the famous aeronaut, and took to the skies. Carlotta performed much more than aerial feats in her gas balloons. A skybound scientist, she collected information on currents, weather, and atmospheric pressure.

Soar with Sue Ganz-Schmitt as she brilliantly spotlights the life of Mary Myers, aka Carlotta, who always had her mind and heart in the skies.

“Remarkable account of a phenomenal female aeronaut! As a young, female mechanical engineer and pilot, I am captivated by Mary's story and her fantastic contribution to the worlds of aviation and science.”-Savannah Bradley, 4thgeneration balloon pilot

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

★ "Loaded with information, this meticulously researched tale about one high-flying woman’s exploits will captivate readers; quotes from Mary/Carlotta are incorporated. The crisp ink illustrations are superb, beautifully capturing period details and settings; note some eye-popping typesetting creativity. This fascinating book flies high and definitely rises to the occasion." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "The life of Mary Myers takes flight in this captivating biographical picture book about a barrier-busting woman scientist...Stunning illustrations with intricate details follow the highs and lows—literally—of her life andcareer. Her story will inspire budding scientists to let their dreams carry them up, up, and away." —Foreword Reviews, starred review

"The amazing account is beautifully told via urgent, animated text and elegant illustrations. Bruno intersperses delightful depictions of antique ephemera (posters, certificates, blueprints) throughout...A soaring story of a remarkable and memorable woman." —Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2024-02-17
A daring woman soared into history.

From childhood, Mary Myers (nee Hawley, 1850-1932) dreamed of flying, something women of her era weren’t supposed to contemplate, let alone accomplish. In adulthood, she found a way to escape her earthly bonds: ballooning, a new fad “that sailed in from France and captivated America.” At age 21, Mary married photographer, inventor, engineer, and scientist Carl Myers, a ballooning enthusiast himself. Carl was interested in researching weather conditions in the skies; Mary read up on meteorology and aeronautics. Together, they designed and built better balloons. What they needed was someone to record scientific/weather data while flying and to dazzle crowds who paid to witness flying exhibitions. Mary volunteered and adopted “Carlotta” as her stage name. It rained the day of her first solo flight—July 5, 1880. Carlotta had promised to take her balloon one mile up and stay aloft for five miles or 30 minutes. She received 10 minutes of training to learn how to avoid crashing into tall standing objects, to land safely, and to make her balloon rise or fall, as necessary. The event was a rousing success: Carlotta recorded abundant weather statistics and flew higher, farther, and longer than expected. Loaded with information, this meticulously researched tale about one high-flying woman’s exploits will captivate readers; quotes from Mary/Carlotta are incorporated. The crisp ink illustrations are superb, beautifully capturing period details and settings; note some eye-popping typesetting creativity.

This fascinating book flies high and definitely rises to the occasion. (more information about Carlotta, timeline, bibliography, picture credits) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192052372
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/25/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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