Hazel Ying Lee was a fearless girl who dreamed of flying, even though there were sparse opportunities for women and for Chinese Americans. As a young woman, she put herself through flight school by working as an elevator operator, and once World War II broke out she enlisted as a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP). While women weren’t allowed to fly planes in war zones, they did do critical work testing newly built planes fresh off the assembly line, reporting any defects. Among the WASPs, Hazel was one of the best, serving as one of just 132 women who could fly the super-fast planes. Unfortunately, before the war ended, a miscommunication from the control tower led to a two-plane crash, and Lee was killed. Her family then fought to get her buried in a whites-only cemetery, even appealing to President Roosevelt. This well-researched picture-book biography has a clear, straightforward narrative, but the illustrations are the real standout, depicting Hazel as a child and as a woman with so much character, in addition to showing sweeping vistas of her in flight. (Ages 7-9)

Even when other people scoffed at her dreams of becoming a pilot, Hazel Ying Lee wouldn't take no for an answer. She became the first Chinese American woman to fly for the US military, joining the Women's Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. -- adapted from jacket