Violet the Pilot

by Steve Breen (Author)

Violet the Pilot
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

By the time she's two years old, Violet Van Winkle can fix nearly any appliance in the house. And by eight she's building elaborate flying machines from scratch: mind-boggling contraptions such as the Tubbubbler, the Bicycopter, and the Wing-a-ma-jig. The kids at school tease her, but they have no idea what she's capable of. Maybe she could earn their respect by winning the blue ribbon in the upcoming Air Show. Or maybe something even better will happen: something involving her best ever invention, a Boy Scout troop in peril, and even the mayor himself!

A classic underdog story full of humor and sweetness and retro pizzazz, Violet the Pilot is both endearing and adorable. It'll fly right into your heart.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Find books about:

ALA/Booklist

Breen makes good use of both comedy and perspective in action-packed pictures...This will make a great read-aloud; take it on a trip, and youngsters will happily follow along.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3. An engaging story of a spunky girl who follows her dreams. A precocious child, Violet could fix household appliances at age two. At four, she could take apart and reassemble a grandfather clock. Her mechanical skills were amazing; her social skills were not. At age eight, Violet creates elaborate flying machines using parts from her family's junkyard, but still has no friends. Other kids find her strange and make fun of her, and her only companion is her dog, Orville. When she sees a poster for an upcoming air show, she hopes to win acceptance by participating with one of her homemade contraptions. She builds a magnificent aircraft, but on her way to the show, she passes over a river and spots several Boy Scouts who are floundering in the rapids. She stops to rescue them and misses the event. Violet thinks she has lost her chance for approval, until the townspeople declare her their hero. Done in watercolors, acrylics, and Photoshop, the lively cartoon artwork evokes a nostalgic setting. Violet's various inventions are clever and amusing. Children will be inspired by her ability to find happiness with herself, despite the rejection of her peers. Violet is a terrific role model and her story would enhance most collections. - Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission

Review quotes

Violet is charming and fearless. — Children's Literature
Steve Breen
Author/illustrator Steve Breen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorialcartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Grand Avenue. Stick, hispicture-book debut, is rambunctious, silly, and couldn't be more endearing. Steve Breen lives in San Diego, California.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780803731257
Lexile Measure
740
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Dial Books
Publication date
March 13, 2008
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV041010 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | Aviation
Library of Congress categories
Popularity
Air pilots
Heroes
Aeronautical engineers
Volunteer State Book Awards
Nominee 2011 - 2012

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!