![]() ![]() Marianne Wood, Museum Director, National WASP WWII Museum Congratulations, Sherri, on your fine contribution!” Main characters Ida Mae, Lily and Patsy exhibit the courage mixed with daring and commitment that still inspire WASP admirers. “Flygirl captures the indomitable spirit of the WASP. Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Feathers and Show Way Sherri Smith is a truly talented writer and Flygirl is a wonderful story.” Hard not to get an itch to fly after reading this. “It was hard not to find myself cheering Ida Mae on. “It’s Sunday afternoon and the phonograph player is jumping like a clown in a parade the way Jolene and I are dancing.” And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be. Hiding one’s racial heritage, denying one’s family, denying one’s self is a heavy burden. But even the WASP won’t accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of “passing,” of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the Women Airforce Service Pilots-and Ida suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. ![]() ![]() But her daddy’s gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn’t stop him from fulfilling his dreams. ![]()
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