Who Invented the Airplane?
Wright Brothers vs. Whitehead
From the Series STEM Smackdown (Alternator Books ® )
Do you know who invented the airplane? Most Americans believe it was Wilbur and Orville Wright. But what if that’s not true? What if a German immigrant named Gustave Whitehead beat the Wrights to the punch, flying a plane he designed several years before Wilbur and Orville took their famous flight? You’ll hang on every word as the Wright brothers and Whitehead face off to become the first to fly. Read on for a story full of disputes, determination, and more. You’ll never view the history of flight in the same way again!
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
|
978-1-5415-1206-1
|
$10.99 | |
|
978-1-5415-2240-4
|
$34.99 |
| Interest Level | Grade 3 - Grade 6 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 4 |
| Genre | Science |
| Category | 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Traditional Nonfiction, STEM, STEM: Engineering |
| Copyright | 2018 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Brand | Alternator Books ® |
| Imprint | LernerClassroom, Lerner Publications ™ |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 32 |
| Publication Date | 2018-01-01 |
| Reading Counts! Level | 5.6 |
| Text Type | Informational/Explanatory |
|---|---|
| BISACS | JNF061010, JNF007090, JNF051190 |
| Dewey | 629.130092/2 |
| Graphics | 1-color illustrations, Full-color illustrations |
| Dimensions | 7 x 9 |
| Lexile | 860 |
| Guided Reading Level | T |
| ATOS Reading Level | 5.3 |
| Accelerated Reader® Quiz | 195554 |
| Accelerated Reader® Points | 0.5 |
| Features | Bibliography/further reading, Glossary words bolded within text, Index, Reviewed, Table of contents, Timeline, and eSource |
Author: Karen Latchana Kenney
Karen Latchana Kenney is an Indian-Irish author and editor, born near the equator in Guyana, and raised far north in Minnesota. She writes both fiction and nonfiction stories about scientific wonders and discoveries, immigrant and biracial experiences, momentous historical events, and civil rights struggles. Her books have received several starred reviews and have been named a 2025 Minnesota Book Awards Finalist, a 2025 Pedro and Daniel Intersectionality Book Awards Finalist, a 2023 Mathical Book Prize Honor book, and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She lives in Minnesota with her designer-musician husband and mathematician–robot-building son, where they explore all the wild places they can find. Find her online at https://www.karenlatchanakenney.com.
Reviews
School Library Journal, Series Made Simple
“A good choice to increase interest in STEM topics or for reports on inventions/inventors.”—School Library Journal, Series Made Simple
