GENRE: Humor, STEM/STEAM, Informational Fiction
WORDS: 533
Query:
Dear Editors, Agents and Judges,
Thank you for being a part of PB Party 2025. I am excited to share Flight!, a 533 word picture book.
When a paper airplane contest is announced in Mrs. Doolittle’s second grade classroom, Newton knows that it’s his chance to fulfill his destiny like the famous flyers Amelia Paperhart, Brave Bessie, and the Paper Wright Brothers. However, Newton and the boy soon realize that engineering a paper airplane isn’t as easy as it looks. Ouch! At the last second, they change their design and engineer the most spectacular paper airplane any second grader has ever seen!
My picture book is for children ages 7-10, who love the inventions of Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts, and the humor of the anthropomorphic character in Arnie The Doughnut By Laurie Keller.
Newton’s Spectacular Flight was inspired by my own son, who flew a paper airplane into his classroom ceiling. I am also inspired everyday by the students I teach in my K-4 STEM classroom, who love making paper airplanes. I am an active member in SCBWI and other writing critique groups.
Thank you for your help in inspiring the next paper engineer as they read my story.
Excerpt:
I am Newton, a plain piece of paper. I could be great like my ancestors…
Amelia Paperhart, who flew across the Atlantic Ocean,
Brave Bessie, who was a stunt extraordinaire,
Or the infamous Paperwright brothers, who were the first to successfully fly,
IF I could just get off of this paper stack!
“Whoa…What’s happening?”
PLOP!
“Yes! A second grade classroom!”
Just then, Mrs. Doolittle announced a paper airplane contest.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
I am a K-4 STEM teacher in a public school. I was inspired to write this story by my own child, and by my students. My son flew a paper airplane into the ceiling of his classroom, where it remained stuck the rest of the year. My students also love making paper airplanes in class. I wrote this story to encourage children to keep reaching for the sky in their aviation pursuits. I hope children reading my story are inspired to pursue their love of flight through paper engineering, or flying a real airplane one day.
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