Stealing Air

Stealing Air by Trent Reedy

 middle school

Three boys Brian, Alex and Max (who are not quite good friends) work together to build an airplane in their secret hideaway. They do this using a new material that Brian & Max's parents have developed. Their goal is to actually fly it themselves and impress a woman who is thinking about investing in the production of the new Plastisteel. They have some trouble with the engineering along the way, not to mention bullies and being unable to ask for help or advice.


So much love for this book. I was pleasantly reminded of Heinlein's juvies. And if you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know I love Heinlein.
They're basically just regular boys, except for that one super genius. But hey, geniuses are people too. It isn't just sciencey fun though. There's an eating contest and skateboarding. It really is quite an enjoyable read and I expect middle school boys will really like it. The parts where the boys have actually managed to get their plane into the air offer some great excitement.
What I love is how dedicated to their project these boys are. As a teacher, I say yay! And to science teachers, I suggest using this as a read aloud. The boys efforts with building the plane are a great example of the scientific process.

Verdict: highly recommended