Teenager Ida Mae Jones was taught to fly by her daddy on his crop duster. Now she has everything but an actual license, since the flight test examiner refused to pass her because she is a woman. When she hears about the Women’s Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) program, Ida Mae is determined to join, going so far as to change the name and dates on her daddy’s old pilot’s license. But that deception is nothing compared to her next one: The WASPs don’t take Black women, but Ida Mae’s skin is so light she can pass as white. It’s a decision that will impact both her new friendships with other women trainees after she’s accepted into the program, and her relationships with the family and friends she leaves behind. Sherri L. Smith’s novel is a fascinating look at the WASP program during World War II, capturing the spirit and passion of talented women who were hungry for opportunities to take to the air and show what they could do. Smith weaves Ida Mae’s story into the fabric of that history, creating a compelling—and at times heartbreaking—look at both the sexism and racism of those times. (Age 12 and older)

Read Sherri L. Smith's posts on the Penguin Blog

Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn't stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddy's gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her.

When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the Women's Airforce Service Pilots—and Ida suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP won't accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of “passing,” of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one's racial heritage, denying one's family, denying one's self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be.