Smithsonian Discover: Flight

Get ready to soar to new heights with Smithsonian Discover: Flight.

Smithsonian Discover: Flight brings the awe-inspiring experience of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum right into the pages of a book. This authoritative guide to the history and science of flight answers all the questions that kids will ask (and that parents may not be able to answer), like “What makes a plane stay in the air?” “What’s a sonic boom?” and “How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?” Arranged into three sections, Balloons in the Air, Machines in the Sky, and Starships in Space, Smithsonian Discover: Flight chronicles the history and evolution of flight in way meant to inspire future aviators and astronauts.

This unique title also delivers hands-on activities like you would find at the Smithsonian. Bound right into the book are 12 fact cards on the coolest aircraft, a large double-sided poster, and 9 paper airplanes in three designs (a historic glider, a military jet, and a space shuttle) with easy-to-follow folding instructions. Altogether, Smithsonian Discover: Flight offers kids a chance to take off on a trip to the Smithsonian without ever leaving their seats.

Ruth Tepper Brown is a writer/editor who specializes in demystifying science for people of all ages. A longtime editor and media manager at the celebrated San Francisco Exploratorium, Ruth helped create award-winning books, websites, and communications of every shape and size. Now a consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has worked on publications for the Schwab Learning Foundation, Golden Gate National Parks, UC Berkeley, Chronicle Books, Klutz Press, and more.