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hollyxbear's review against another edition
5.0
I had not heard of Hazel until I read this book. It was so interesting learning about someone so strong and determined.
kristenremenar's review against another edition
5.0
I love biographies like this about heroes I haven't heard of, heroes I can share with kids who look like Hazel Ying Lee and kids who love airplanes.
Details are introduced so smoothly in a matter-of-fact way that will impact kids: when little Hazel is running footraces, we learn that "Hazel didn't care that she was not allowed in certain parts of town or that she had to carry identification on her at all times."
Hazel earns her way into becoming one of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. The job is dangerous and eventually cost her her life. The lyricism of the book, though, shows the spirit and joy of Hazel Ying Lee as she soars through the sky. This doesn't feel like a "lesson book" even though it shares important information. This book is one kids will reread often for pleasure.
Details are introduced so smoothly in a matter-of-fact way that will impact kids: when little Hazel is running footraces, we learn that "Hazel didn't care that she was not allowed in certain parts of town or that she had to carry identification on her at all times."
Hazel earns her way into becoming one of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. The job is dangerous and eventually cost her her life. The lyricism of the book, though, shows the spirit and joy of Hazel Ying Lee as she soars through the sky. This doesn't feel like a "lesson book" even though it shares important information. This book is one kids will reread often for pleasure.
cynthiasreadinglist's review against another edition
5.0
I felt like i was watching a movie. Wow, this illustrator captured panoramic scenes magnificently! I did not know about Hazel Ying Lee and now am so curious!
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
Picture books biographies are such a wonderful way to introduce young readers to heroes they might otherwise never hear about, particularly America's diverse heroes. I recently introduced some young readers to this excellent picture book biography about Chinese American pilot Hazel Ying Lee, who found her story interesting and inspiring, sparking a conversation about finding and following one's passion.
Hazel was fearless as a young girl, and loved speed. She would run so fast it was like her feet never touched the ground, and she would always leave her brothers in the dust. Airplanes were a relatively new thing when Hazel was growing up, but whenever she saw a plane in the sky, she wondered what it would be like to be so fast and high off the ground.
When she got older, Hazel finally got a chance to fly in an airplane, and knew she had found her passion. Although her family wasn't too happy about Hazel's decision to become a pilot, they ultimately accepted it. Unfortunately, people who were Chinese were discriminated against and weren't allowed to go anywhere they wanted, nor were they allowed to hold good paying jobs. Undaunted, Hazel worked as an elevator operator to pay for flying lessons.
And learn to fly is exactly what Hazel did. But no matter how good she was as a pilot, who would hire a Chinese girl? No one until 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II.
Now that all the country's male pilots were needed to fight, creating a home front pilot shortage, the military developed a program to train women called the Women Airforce Service Pilots or WASPs for short. And Hazel signed up immediately. Here she would test planes right off the assembly line to discover any defects in them, a dangerous task at best, but nothing mattered to Hazel except flying high in the sky and pushing her plane to go faster.
Sadly, in November 1944, a miscommunication caused Hazel's plane to collide with another plane. She died two days later. And when her family and fellow pilots wanted to honor her, they discovered that WASPs were considered to be civilians and Hazel received no military recognition. And despite being a hero, Hazel wasn't allowed to be buried in the whites-only cemetery her family chose in Portland, Oregon.
Writing a protest letter to Franklin Roosevelt about the treatment of heroes like Hazel, the Lee family ultimately won the right to bury her and her brother Victor, who died in combat around the same time Hazel died, in the cemetery, choosing the perfect place for her to be laid to rest - on the hillside with a clear view of the sky.
In this well written, well researched picture book biography, Leung highlights Hazel's passion for speed and flying without watering down the racial discrimination that Chinese people faced everyday and Hazel's determination to not let these things stop her. Julie Kwon's digitally created illustrations are, as you can see, clear, colorful and detailed. Back matter includes an Author's Note about Hazel's life and how she discovered Hazel's story. There are also resources for learning more about Hazel, including book, documentaries, websites, and museums.
After I read Hazel's story to a group of diverse 7-year-olds, it really generated some eye-opening conversation, all agreeing, in the end, that Hazel is an inspiration for all Americans. I think this really points to the importance of all people learning their histories in America and how they contributed to making this country what it is today.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was purchased for my personal library
Hazel was fearless as a young girl, and loved speed. She would run so fast it was like her feet never touched the ground, and she would always leave her brothers in the dust. Airplanes were a relatively new thing when Hazel was growing up, but whenever she saw a plane in the sky, she wondered what it would be like to be so fast and high off the ground.
When she got older, Hazel finally got a chance to fly in an airplane, and knew she had found her passion. Although her family wasn't too happy about Hazel's decision to become a pilot, they ultimately accepted it. Unfortunately, people who were Chinese were discriminated against and weren't allowed to go anywhere they wanted, nor were they allowed to hold good paying jobs. Undaunted, Hazel worked as an elevator operator to pay for flying lessons.
And learn to fly is exactly what Hazel did. But no matter how good she was as a pilot, who would hire a Chinese girl? No one until 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II.
Now that all the country's male pilots were needed to fight, creating a home front pilot shortage, the military developed a program to train women called the Women Airforce Service Pilots or WASPs for short. And Hazel signed up immediately. Here she would test planes right off the assembly line to discover any defects in them, a dangerous task at best, but nothing mattered to Hazel except flying high in the sky and pushing her plane to go faster.
Sadly, in November 1944, a miscommunication caused Hazel's plane to collide with another plane. She died two days later. And when her family and fellow pilots wanted to honor her, they discovered that WASPs were considered to be civilians and Hazel received no military recognition. And despite being a hero, Hazel wasn't allowed to be buried in the whites-only cemetery her family chose in Portland, Oregon.
Writing a protest letter to Franklin Roosevelt about the treatment of heroes like Hazel, the Lee family ultimately won the right to bury her and her brother Victor, who died in combat around the same time Hazel died, in the cemetery, choosing the perfect place for her to be laid to rest - on the hillside with a clear view of the sky.
In this well written, well researched picture book biography, Leung highlights Hazel's passion for speed and flying without watering down the racial discrimination that Chinese people faced everyday and Hazel's determination to not let these things stop her. Julie Kwon's digitally created illustrations are, as you can see, clear, colorful and detailed. Back matter includes an Author's Note about Hazel's life and how she discovered Hazel's story. There are also resources for learning more about Hazel, including book, documentaries, websites, and museums.
After I read Hazel's story to a group of diverse 7-year-olds, it really generated some eye-opening conversation, all agreeing, in the end, that Hazel is an inspiration for all Americans. I think this really points to the importance of all people learning their histories in America and how they contributed to making this country what it is today.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was purchased for my personal library
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
I had never heard of Hazel Ying Lee, but I think her story (and the story of other female pilots) should be more well known. Leung does a great job of explaining to her audience what Lee went through while not overwhelming her audience.
earldizon's review against another edition
3.0
A touching story about Hazel Ying Lee who had her sights to the skies and eventually became a US military pilot.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
3.0
A strong woman a nice overview of her life wish some of the facts had been in the main text and not just in the end notes.
mutuallyinclusive's review against another edition
4.0
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung is a phenomenal picture book biography detailing the life of Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the US military.
Despite being born during a time when racial bias was rampant against Chinese people in the United States, Hazel Ying Lee wasn’t afraid of anything. Hazel fell in love with flying when she was in an airshow with a friend. She worked an “invisible job” as an elevator operator to pay for flying lessons. Regardless of both the gender and racial barriers of her time, she would go on to serve as part of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.
I appreciate that The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee doesn’t shy away from the obstacles faced by Hazel, specifically the racism she faced. From an encounter with a farmer who mistook her for a Japanese fighter when she crash-landed in a Kansas field mid-training, to Hazel’s family’s fight to bury her in a whites-only cemetery when Hazel died in service to her country at the age of 32, these examples give us a great introduction to talk to young readers about the racism directed towards Asian Americans, which seems to all too common during the time of COVID-19.
Even with these hard lessons of injustice, The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee is a beautiful book celebrating the accomplishments of a groundbreaking woman. I really appreciated the beautiful illustrations by Julie Kwon.
Many thanks to Little Brown Young Readers for generously providing me with a review copy of The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee. I’m so grateful to have a part in sharing Hazel’s story.
Despite being born during a time when racial bias was rampant against Chinese people in the United States, Hazel Ying Lee wasn’t afraid of anything. Hazel fell in love with flying when she was in an airshow with a friend. She worked an “invisible job” as an elevator operator to pay for flying lessons. Regardless of both the gender and racial barriers of her time, she would go on to serve as part of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.
I appreciate that The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee doesn’t shy away from the obstacles faced by Hazel, specifically the racism she faced. From an encounter with a farmer who mistook her for a Japanese fighter when she crash-landed in a Kansas field mid-training, to Hazel’s family’s fight to bury her in a whites-only cemetery when Hazel died in service to her country at the age of 32, these examples give us a great introduction to talk to young readers about the racism directed towards Asian Americans, which seems to all too common during the time of COVID-19.
Even with these hard lessons of injustice, The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee is a beautiful book celebrating the accomplishments of a groundbreaking woman. I really appreciated the beautiful illustrations by Julie Kwon.
Many thanks to Little Brown Young Readers for generously providing me with a review copy of The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee. I’m so grateful to have a part in sharing Hazel’s story.
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jbuwalda's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee (2021) was written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Julie Kwon. It would be a great read-aloud for lower and middle elementary students. Hazel Ying Lee was the first Chinese American woman to fly for the United States military, and this book documents her journey of accomplishing her dream of becoming a pilot. She faced discrimination both because she was a woman and because she was Asian American, but after her death, her family fought to see her honored as the hero she was.
This book could be used in many ways in the classroom: as a mentor text for writing biographies, as an example of identifying characters' emotion in the illustrations, or as an informational text about World War II and people who accomplish great things in spite of immense challenges. Readers will be drawn in by this eventful and emotional true story.
This book could be used in many ways in the classroom: as a mentor text for writing biographies, as an example of identifying characters' emotion in the illustrations, or as an informational text about World War II and people who accomplish great things in spite of immense challenges. Readers will be drawn in by this eventful and emotional true story.