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Who Were the Wright Brothers?

Part of Who Was?

Author James Buckley, Jr., Who HQ
Illustrated by Tim Foley
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Ebook
Penguin Young Readers | Penguin Workshop
On sale May 01, 2014 | 112 Pages | 9780399540103
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As young boys, Orville and Wilbur Wright loved all things mechanical.  As young men, they gained invaluable skills essential for their success by working with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and any sort of machinery they could get their hands on.  As adults, the brothers worked together to invent, build, and fly the world’s first successful airplane. This is the fascinating story of the two inventors and aviation pioneers who never lost sight of their dream: to fly, and to soar higher!
Who Were the Wright Brothers?
 
On May 25, 1910, Milton Wright took his first airplane flight. He had lived a long and busy life, working for his church, raising his family, and traveling. But he had never been in an airplane. Of course, in 1910, only a handful of people had!
 
Two people who did have flying experience were Milton’s sons, Wilbur and Orville Wright, who had invented the airplane in 1903. Milton had watched them grow from curious and hard-working boys into two of the most famous men in the world.
 
The Wright brothers built and flew their plane only after years of trial, error, and hard work. From the early twentieth century to the present, every single airplane ever built includes something first created by the Wright brothers.
 
Their invention changed the world. However, on this day in May of 1910, the brothers didn’t care about the world. They were just happy to share their success and joy with their father, who had given them so much support.
 
On a field not far from their family home in Dayton, Ohio, Orville Wright settled his eighty-one-year-old father into the plane. Then Orville sat at the controls. The two men held on as the aircraft slowly got up to speed and then took off! They circled the field over and over, staying in the air for nearly seven minutes.
 
During the flight, Milton leaned toward his son. Over the roar of the engine, he shouted, “Higher, Orville . . . higher!”
 
So that’s where Orville took Milton . . . and that’s where the Wright brothers took the world.
Copyright © 2014 by James Buckley Jr.; Illustrated by Tim Foley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
James Buckley Jr. is a prolific author of nonfiction for young readers, with more than 150 books to his credit (and still typing!). He is the author of more than a dozen titles in the New York Times bestselling Who Was? biography series, including books on the Wright Brothers, Milton Hershey, Betsy Ross, Jules Verne, and Blackbeard. View titles by James Buckley, Jr.
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ
Tim Foley View titles by Tim Foley

About

As young boys, Orville and Wilbur Wright loved all things mechanical.  As young men, they gained invaluable skills essential for their success by working with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and any sort of machinery they could get their hands on.  As adults, the brothers worked together to invent, build, and fly the world’s first successful airplane. This is the fascinating story of the two inventors and aviation pioneers who never lost sight of their dream: to fly, and to soar higher!

Excerpt

Who Were the Wright Brothers?
 
On May 25, 1910, Milton Wright took his first airplane flight. He had lived a long and busy life, working for his church, raising his family, and traveling. But he had never been in an airplane. Of course, in 1910, only a handful of people had!
 
Two people who did have flying experience were Milton’s sons, Wilbur and Orville Wright, who had invented the airplane in 1903. Milton had watched them grow from curious and hard-working boys into two of the most famous men in the world.
 
The Wright brothers built and flew their plane only after years of trial, error, and hard work. From the early twentieth century to the present, every single airplane ever built includes something first created by the Wright brothers.
 
Their invention changed the world. However, on this day in May of 1910, the brothers didn’t care about the world. They were just happy to share their success and joy with their father, who had given them so much support.
 
On a field not far from their family home in Dayton, Ohio, Orville Wright settled his eighty-one-year-old father into the plane. Then Orville sat at the controls. The two men held on as the aircraft slowly got up to speed and then took off! They circled the field over and over, staying in the air for nearly seven minutes.
 
During the flight, Milton leaned toward his son. Over the roar of the engine, he shouted, “Higher, Orville . . . higher!”
 
So that’s where Orville took Milton . . . and that’s where the Wright brothers took the world.
Copyright © 2014 by James Buckley Jr.; Illustrated by Tim Foley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Author

James Buckley Jr. is a prolific author of nonfiction for young readers, with more than 150 books to his credit (and still typing!). He is the author of more than a dozen titles in the New York Times bestselling Who Was? biography series, including books on the Wright Brothers, Milton Hershey, Betsy Ross, Jules Verne, and Blackbeard. View titles by James Buckley, Jr.
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ
Tim Foley View titles by Tim Foley

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