Also by this author: Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman with a Big Dream, Fanny Crosby: The Girl Who Couldn't See But Helped The World To Sing, Helen Roseveare: The Doctor Who Kept Going No Matter What, Amy Carmichael: The Brown-Eyed Girl Who Learned to Pray
Series: Do Great Things for God #4
Published by Good Book Company on September 20, 2021
Genres: Children's, Children's Educational
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Betty Greene (1920-1997) wanted to learn to fly from the age of 7. And with some money given to her by her uncle, that's exactly what she did.
When World War II started, Betty used her skills to serve with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (also known as WASPs). She even became part of a research project that sent pilots way up high, through the stratosphere!
Once the war had ended, she brought her passion for flying and her passion for the Lord Jesus together, and helped to set up a mission which is known today as the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
Throughout her life, Betty made over 4,640 flights and served in 12 countries, landing in around 20 more.
Children will enjoy this beautifully illustrated children's biography, which can be read to young children aged 4-5 and read by children aged 6 plus.
When I was a kid, Betty Greene was one of my favorite historic Christian missionaries, because I thought that aviation was fascinating and admired her adventurous life. As soon as I learned that this book would be coming out, I was excited to read it, and I really enjoyed it. This picture book biography covers essential details from her life history, gives a glimpse into her work as a WASP pilot during World War II, and shares details from her missions work with the organization now known as Mission Aviation Fellowship. The text from Laura Caputo-Wickham is very simple, expressive, and easy to read, and Héloïse Mab’s illustrations help tell the story by vividly picturing scenes from Greene’s life.
Betty Greene: The Girl Who Longed to Fly celebrates how Greene was able to serve God by doing what she loved, and even though the book doesn’t state this explicitly, it also conveys the value of women being willing and encouraged to take risks and do daring things. The book honors Greene’s courage and level-headed approach to frightening events in the air, and the timeline in the back includes additional details about her boundary-breaking accomplishments as a female pilot.
This new installment in the Do Great Things for God series is a great option for Christian families, churches, and Christian schools. The book educates kids about the impact of aviation, ties in with world events related to World War II, and emphasizes Greene’s courage, adventurous spirit, and joy in serving God through the activity she loved best. I greatly enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it. This can be a family read-aloud or an independent read, and even though it includes some brief scenes of peril, is appropriate for even very young children.
