The Wrong Wrights

Gr 3–5—A fun and action-packed exploration of aviation. Eric, Dominique, Ajay, and Josephine are the four winners of their school's science fair and are excited for their field trip to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. When they get there, they all feel sick, and after they recover, they realize that the museum's planes have been replaced with massive balloon structures with the insignia "Barris Air." They meet Al, the only one who acknowledges the change. Al gives the group talking bracelets that provide historical context and sends them back to 1909 to the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City. The kids realize that something is amiss and follow the people they think are behind the time line shift. They discover that these men, the Barrises, are using holographic disguises to change history and become wealthy in the future. It's up to the four of them to save the day. This is a fast-paced, light read filled with information about the history of flight. Students will also learn about Orville and Wilbur Wright's sister, Katharine Wright, whose contributions have often gone unmentioned, as well as other pilots of the time. The paneling is neat and organized, but the speech bubbles can get confusing. Some pages are too crowded with people or text, and the bubbles overlap. Still, the narrative is edifying and humorous, and there is diversity among main and background characters. Back matter offers more material about the Hudson-Fulton Celebration.