Bilder tells the story of the Flying Hobos who are the first African-American pilots to make a transcontinental flight across the US. Despite the racism they encounter along the route, the Flying Hobos continue with their plan, ignoring the negative comments they hear during some of their stops. They instead focus on the positive reactions from others to successfully complete their journey and make history. "The Hallelujah Flight" would be well-suited for first to third graders and provides a topic for discussion on racism since this book shows two men who are well-qualified for their goals, but who must overcome obstacles simply because of the color of their skin to complete a mission that few white men or women were able to do at that time. Because Bildner uses a positive tone to discuss the great accomplishments of the Flying Hobos, this book might be a good introduction for discussion about fairness with younger-aged students concerning their own decision making as a first step before discussing more historical examples of racism prevalent in society. I think that the illustrations used throughout the book help emphasize the emotions of fear, humiliation, and overall gloom associated with racism as the reader uncovers meaning in the characters’ eyes and facial expressions. This is directly contrasted to more encouraging moments in the story where the pictures are brighter and filled with confident and excited expressions on the characters’ faces. Overall, I think this book would be a good discussion starter on why very little is known about the Hallelujah Flight and the pilots James Banning and Thomas Allen that could stem into further student research. The more history I think I know, the less I find that I really do know. As I've written before, I love to discover little-known pieces of history such as the story told in this picture book and then share them with others. Back in 1932 James Banning and his mechanic and copilot Thomas Allen became the first African-Americans to fly across the United States. The book describes how they cobbled together a plane and flew from Los Angeles to New York City. While they received help from many of the folks they met on their stops along the way, they also dealt with equipment and weather challenges and encountered prejudice. The text and acrylics on canvas illustrations lend a joyous, celebratory note to the story of these brave pioneers. An author's note in the front of the book gives a little detail about how he researched his subject. A map of the men's flight is provided on the endpapers too so that curious readers can follow their path and note all their stops.
What do You think about The Hallelujah Flight (2010)?
Learning about other aviators and not just Lindbergh or the Wright brothers is quite a relief.
—karenl
Another interesting part of history I never knew. Perfect for Black History Month projects!
—MEW
