Colfer, Eoin. Airman. New York: Puffin, 2008. 416 pages. $17.99 ISBN 9781423107507
Plot Summary: At the end of the 19th century, it was pure science fiction to thing of humans in flight. For Conor Broekhart, it will be a reality. Conor lives on the Saltee Islands off the coast of Ireland with his parents. He is best friends with the king's daughter, and he has the greatest Frenchman and scientist as his tutor. When the evil Hugo Bonvilain assassinates King Nicholas and Conor's tutor Victor Vigny, and catches Conor as the sole witness, Hugo fakes Conor's death and sends him to Little Saltee. Little Saltee is the prison island, and Conor spends his days there with a new name and a new life. Conor is set on escaping the island, not to go back home to his family, but to build his flying machine and start a new life. However an interesting, and unforeseen, turn of events sends Conor in a different direction.
Critical Evaluation: This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. I was so fascinated with the history of the Saltee Islands, the strange government, the customs. I was convinced the small republic was real, and was duped out of learning about it in school. However, I looked up the Saltee Islands and they are real, albeit privately owned. No Great Saltee Republic. Eion created a very convincing world, that could have fit in perfectly with British and Irish history. Queen Victoria herself attends Princess Isabella's coronation. Apart from the interesting world and government Eoin created, the science of the flying machines was fascinating.
Reader's Annotation: In the late 1800s, humans figured they're leave flying to the birds. Conor Broekhart is determined to get into the sky.
Author Bio: Eoin (pronounced Owen) Colfer is the Irish author of the Artemis Fowl series as well as several other tween and teen novels. He grew up in Wexford, attended Dublin University, then returned to Wexford after graduation to work as a primary school teacher. He married his wife in 1991 and worked in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy until 1996. He wrote a few novels before the Artemis Fowl series, but with the publication of the first book in 2001 he was able to leave teaching and become a full time writer. Eoin and his wife live with their two children in Ireland.
Genre: Historical Fiction (I'm not sure whether to classify this as Science Fiction, since there is a great deal of science involved, but is not the typical science fiction work.)
Curriculum Ties: This would be an interesting read while learning about flying machines and airplanes, to get an understanding of the early view of human flight.
Booktalking Ideas: Show pictures of early planes and flying machines. Then ask them to imagine building something in a place little bigger than an average sized bathroom with only candlelight.
Reading Level/Interest Age: 9 to 17, grades 4 and up.
Challenges: None
Reason for including: The idea of creating an apparatus to enable humans to fly in the late Victorian era is mind boggling to me, which is partially why I wanted to read this book. I also just love that time period. I think this book would appeal to both boys and girls with its mixture of action, adventure and heartache.
Critical Evaluation: This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. I was so fascinated with the history of the Saltee Islands, the strange government, the customs. I was convinced the small republic was real, and was duped out of learning about it in school. However, I looked up the Saltee Islands and they are real, albeit privately owned. No Great Saltee Republic. Eion created a very convincing world, that could have fit in perfectly with British and Irish history. Queen Victoria herself attends Princess Isabella's coronation. Apart from the interesting world and government Eoin created, the science of the flying machines was fascinating.
Reader's Annotation: In the late 1800s, humans figured they're leave flying to the birds. Conor Broekhart is determined to get into the sky.
Author Bio: Eoin (pronounced Owen) Colfer is the Irish author of the Artemis Fowl series as well as several other tween and teen novels. He grew up in Wexford, attended Dublin University, then returned to Wexford after graduation to work as a primary school teacher. He married his wife in 1991 and worked in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy until 1996. He wrote a few novels before the Artemis Fowl series, but with the publication of the first book in 2001 he was able to leave teaching and become a full time writer. Eoin and his wife live with their two children in Ireland.
Genre: Historical Fiction (I'm not sure whether to classify this as Science Fiction, since there is a great deal of science involved, but is not the typical science fiction work.)
Curriculum Ties: This would be an interesting read while learning about flying machines and airplanes, to get an understanding of the early view of human flight.
Booktalking Ideas: Show pictures of early planes and flying machines. Then ask them to imagine building something in a place little bigger than an average sized bathroom with only candlelight.
Reading Level/Interest Age: 9 to 17, grades 4 and up.
Challenges: None
Reason for including: The idea of creating an apparatus to enable humans to fly in the late Victorian era is mind boggling to me, which is partially why I wanted to read this book. I also just love that time period. I think this book would appeal to both boys and girls with its mixture of action, adventure and heartache.
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