Flying Cars: The True Story

Gr 5–8—Despite the promises of movies such as Back to the Future II, most of us do not ride in flying cars as of 2015. Glass explains why not in this intriguing work of history. Readers learn about many intriguing airplane-car hybrids, such as the Airphibian, invented by Robert Fulton, who flew his vehicle at 110 miles per hour, landed it, single-handedly converted it into a car in under five minutes, then "drove the convertible proudly into Manhattan at a breezy 55 miles per hour." These stories of invention are undeniably appealing, although Glass's storytelling sometimes obscures the history, and extraneous details occasionally distract from the book's focus. The author does not explicitly define the difference between a flying car and a plane with wheels. This distinction only becomes clear after a few chapters, and readers may be put off by lengthy technical descriptions. While a brief glossary follows the text, terms like carburetor, piston, gondola, and horsepower are not defined.