Flying Adventurers: Juvenile Aviation Series Books in America, 1909-1964

Aviation books were a unique and prolific subgenre of American juvenile literature from the early to mid-20th century, drawing upon the nation’s intensifying interest in engineered flight. The first books of this type, Harry L. Sayler’s series Airship Boys, appeared shortly after the Wright brothers’ first successful flight in 1909. Following Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic, popular series like Ted Scott and Andy Lane took inspiration directly from the headlines to establish the golden age of juvenile aviation literature.

This work examines the 375 juvenile aviation series titles that were published between 1909 and 1964. It weaves together several thematic threads, including the placement of aviation narratives within the context of major historical events, the technical accuracy in depictions of flying machines and the ways in which characters reflected the culture of their eras. Three appendices provide publication data for each series, a list of referenced aircraft and an annotated bibliography.