Amelia Earhart books for children and teens

Amelia Earhart books for children and teens

Amelia Earhart’s daring flights and disappearance in 1937 continue to capture children’s imaginations. These Amelia Earhart books for children and teens include colourful picture books, lively biographies, a flying-mouse adventure and young adult fiction. Together, they introduce early aviation, women’s achievements and the challenge of separating historical evidence from legend. This list features books by Kate Pankhurst, Brad Meltzer, Sheila Kanani, Isabel Thomas, Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Torben Kuhlmann, Martha Brockenbrough, Annie Cardi, Robert Burleigh, and Karen Bush Gibson.

Amelia Earhart books for children and teens – our recommendations

Amelia Earhart picture books for 3-7 year olds

Amelia Earhart by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Mariadiamantes

From climbing trees to setting aviation records, Amelia Earhart’s childhood and flying career come alive in this illustrated Little People, BIG DREAMS biography. Children see how a girl fascinated by daring adventures becomes a pioneering pilot, eventually crossing the Atlantic alone. Mariadiamantes uses bold shapes and colour to bring her ambitions to life, while the concluding biographical material introduces the real woman behind the story. A lively starting point for 4-7 year olds learning about famous explorers and remarkable women.

I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos

Amelia tells her own story in this lively instalment of the Ordinary People Change the World series. As a child, she questions expectations about what girls can do; growing up, she discovers the freedom of flying and works towards extraordinary achievements in the cockpit. Christopher Eliopoulos’s cartoon illustrations, panels and speech bubbles give the biography a comic-book feel. For 5-9 year olds, it opens up conversations about finding your own path and having the determination to pursue a dream.

Little Trailblazers: Amelia Earhart by Marjorie Spitalnik, illustrated by Sebastián Viqueira

Amelia dreams of reaching the clouds, even when others tell her that flying is impossible. This illustrated board book introduces her determination to become a pilot and her remarkable achievement as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Sebastián Viqueira’s bright pictures accompany a straightforward account of a young girl who refuses to abandon her ambitions. Recommended for 4-7 year olds, the simple storytelling introduces a fascinating figure from aviation history and encourages children to follow their dreams.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World by Kate Pankhurst

Amelia Earhart shares the pages of this colourful illustrated collection with remarkable women from science, art, history, politics and sport. Kate Pankhurst tells the stories of pioneers including Mary Anning, Rosa Parks, Mary Seacole and Frida Kahlo, celebrating their discoveries, achievements and determination. This anniversary paperback also includes Malala Yousafzai and Taylor Swift. A particularly lively way to place Earhart’s flights alongside other achievements by women, and to encourage discussion about changing expectations across generations.

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor

A dramatic picture-book account of Amelia Earhart’s solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932. Taking off from Newfoundland, she battles dark skies, ice and problems with her aircraft as she flies towards Ireland. Robert Burleigh’s lyrical text captures the tension of the journey, accompanied by Wendell Minor’s atmospheric paintings of the aircraft and ocean. The closing historical material adds context to this record-breaking achievement. For 4-8 year olds, it brings one particular moment in aviation history vividly to life.

Amelia Earhart books for children aged 7-12

The Extraordinary Life of Amelia Earhart by Sheila Kanani, illustrated by Rachel Corcoran

What was Amelia Earhart like before she became one of the world’s most famous pilots? Sheila Kanani traces her childhood curiosity, early flying experiences and determination to make a career in aviation. The biography also looks at Earhart’s wider interests, her achievements and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance in 1937. Rachel Corcoran’s illustrations and an approachable narrative make this an absorbing introduction to a life full of unusual experiences. It is part of the Extraordinary Lives series for 7-12 year olds.

Amelia Earhart by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Dàlia Adillon

Part of the Little Guides to Great Lives series, this illustrated biography charts Amelia Earhart’s journey from adventurous childhood to pioneering flights across the Atlantic. Isabel Thomas places her record-breaking achievements within the era in which she lived, when women faced considerable barriers in aviation. Dàlia Adillon’s artwork brings personality and colour to the story, giving children a memorable way to discover Earhart’s accomplishments, public profile and final expedition. It offers plenty to discuss about courage, changing social expectations and the development of air travel.

The Magic History Book and the Secret Flier: Starring Amelia Earhart! by Stephanie Peters, illustrated by Jazlyn Alcaide

A mysterious book transports the famous aviator Amelia Earhart into twelve-year-old Kate’s world in this playful illustrated adventure. Kate is worried about taking part in a drone-flying competition, and meeting a real pioneer of flight helps her think differently about her own ability. The story mixes history, humour and a contemporary school-age problem, with lively illustrations carrying the action. Teachers can pair the fictional encounter with a factual account of Earhart’s career to distinguish historical evidence from imaginative storytelling.

First Names: Amelia (Earhart) by Andrew Prentice, illustrated by Mike Smith

Amelia Earhart emerges as an energetic and sometimes surprising personality in this illustrated First Names biography. Andrew Prentice takes children from her early fascination with flying through her achievements in the air, drawing attention to the obstacles she overcame and the interests she pursued away from the cockpit. Mike Smith’s humorous illustrations help bring episodes from her life into focus. The lively presentation makes the celebrated aviator feel like a real person, inviting further exploration of aviation, adventure and women’s history.

Earhart: The Incredible Flight of a Field Mouse Around the World by Torben Kuhlmann

A determined young field mouse refuses to accept that the edge of her garden is the edge of the world. Fascinated by flying, she develops her engineering skills, receives help from an experienced aviator and undertakes a daring journey. Torben Kuhlmann tells this imaginative adventure through intricate, cinematic illustrations, connecting his mouse heroine to Amelia Earhart’s remarkable achievements. The final pages include factual material about Earhart, her disappearance and other historic flights, creating an unusual bridge between fiction, scientific invention and biography.

Amelia Earhart books for teens aged 13+ (not middle grade)

Oxford Bookworms Library: Level 2: Amelia Earhart by Janet Hardy-Gould

Amelia Earhart’s extraordinary aviation career becomes the subject of this short, accessible graded reader from Oxford University Press. Janet Hardy-Gould traces her love of flight, her record-breaking journeys and her disappearance over the Pacific, using a controlled English vocabulary and a clear narrative. The Level 2 format is designed for learners of English, including secondary-school students, and offers a way to practise independent reading through a true historical story. It also makes an interesting starting point for discussions about aviation and unresolved historical questions.

Amelia Earhart by Saddleback Educational Publishing

Amelia Earhart’s life and achievements are retold in the graphic biography format of Saddleback’s series for teenage reluctant readers. Short passages, sequential artwork and an uncluttered presentation introduce her interest in flying and her place in aviation history. This is an accessible route into historical non-fiction for secondary students who benefit from a shorter book and visual storytelling. It can also support comparison between graphic biography, longer accounts of her flights and photographs from museum and archive collections.

Women Aviators: 26 Stories of Pioneer Flights, Daring Missions, and Record-Setting Journeys by Karen Bush Gibson

Amelia Earhart appears alongside many other groundbreaking women pilots in this substantial young adult history of aviation. Karen Bush Gibson recounts twenty-six careers, including those of Bessie Coleman and other record setters whose determination changed opportunities in the air. Their experiences unfold against the development of flight, competition, war and changing expectations of women. The wider scope helps teenagers see Earhart as part of a remarkable generation of aviators and offers fruitful material for comparing personal achievement with broader social change.

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

In 1930s Seattle, Flora Saudade is a Black young woman who dreams of becoming a pilot, inspired by aviation pioneers including Amelia Earhart. Henry, a white musician, shares her love of jazz, but powerful forces complicate their growing connection. Love and Death, imagined as characters playing a game with human lives, lend this historical YA romance its fantastical edge. For 14+ year olds, the novel brings together music, racial barriers, ambition and the possibilities that flight represented for women of the period.

The Chance You Won’t Return by Annie Cardi

Alex Winchester is dealing with the familiar complications of teenage life when her mother becomes convinced she is Amelia Earhart. As her mother’s behaviour increasingly revolves around the missing aviator, Alex tries to understand what is happening at home while navigating driving lessons, friendship and her own relationships. Annie Cardi’s young adult novel brings Earhart into a contemporary family story through a character’s troubling identification with the pilot. It offers older teenagers a thoughtful fictional perspective on family relationships and mental health.

Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this Amelia Earhart list, as well as class sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org UK. Or buy all 15 titles from Amazon – ideal for gifts or your classroom library.

Buy from UK.Bookshop.Org Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Disclosure: If you buy books using the buttons above: we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops; as an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

Schools & teachers: please respect copyright and don’t copy our Amelia Earhart book list. If you find our book recommendations useful, please consider sharing on social media or linking to this page instead. Thanks.

Amelia Earhart resources for teachers

• BBC Teach provides a free KS1 resource pack for its Sails, Rails, Wheels and Wings series. The Fantastic Flying Machines section explores Amelia Earhart’s 1932 solo flight across the Atlantic, alongside the Wright brothers and early ballooning. Activities include plotting Earhart’s flight from Canada to Northern Ireland, colouring maps, comparing early and modern aircraft, and sequencing inventions.
• Little People, BIG DREAMS features Amelia Earhart by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and Mariadiamantes, with a downloadable teacher’s guide listed among the book resources. The illustrated biography introduces younger children to Earhart’s achievements, her determination to become a pilot and her record-breaking flights. It is a useful starting point for KS1 biography writing, discussions about ambition and exploring significant women in history.
• Bloomsbury Education offers a free teacher resource pack for Kate Pankhurst’s Fantastically Great Women books, featuring Amelia Earhart alongside other pioneering women. Designed for KS1-KS3, the pack provides five hours of activities covering history, literacy, drama and art. Pupils explore historical achievements, discuss gender expectations, research inspirational women, conduct imaginary interviews and create their own pieces of writing.
• The Historical Association features an Ideas for Assemblies resource by Bev Forrest and Stuart Tiffany exploring significant women in history, including Amelia Earhart. It encourages primary pupils to consider what makes historical figures significant and inspirational, providing a starting point for assemblies and classroom discussion. The resource is available to primary members or through individual purchase.
• Teachwire features a practical article by primary history specialist Stuart Tiffany explaining how to teach chronology using Amelia Earhart’s life as an example. It demonstrates how to construct and use timelines to distinguish between historical periods, organise key events and compare significant individuals. This is particularly useful for KS1 history lessons and developing pupils’ understanding of how aviation changed over time.
• The Royal Air Force Museum provides a free Fantastic Flight teaching resource with activities suitable for primary pupils. Children investigate how aeroplanes fly, learn about lift, gravity, thrust and air resistance, compare aircraft designs and construct model flying machines. Suggested follow-up research includes Amelia Earhart and other aviation pioneers, making it useful for cross-curricular history, science and design technology lessons.
• NASA has produced free differentiated Amelia Earhart reading resources for primary and secondary pupils. The collection includes three reading levels, comprehension questions, graphic organisers, a reading-response choice board and a historical audio recording of Earhart speaking. These materials provide opportunities for non-fiction reading, listening, historical research and discussion about aviation and scientific careers.
• The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum provides a detailed illustrated account of Earhart’s flying career, including her first lessons, aviation records, transatlantic flight and disappearance in 1937. The page also features a short animated story for younger children and a longer educational video exploring her achievements, legacy and the search for her aircraft. These are useful for history, STEM and research projects.
• The Library of Congress offers a free classroom activity using original historical sources to investigate Amelia Earhart’s life. Pupils examine photographs, listen to a recording of her voice and study an image of her palm prints. The activities encourage children to observe, question and interpret evidence, helping them develop historical enquiry and critical-thinking skills.
• The United States National Archives’ DocsTeach website provides access to the original US Navy report documenting the search for Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan in July 1937. This primary source is particularly useful for upper KS2 and KS3 pupils investigating historical evidence, navigation, the challenges of early aviation and the difference between documented facts and speculation about Earhart’s disappearance.
• Purdue University Archives preserves the George Palmer Putnam collection of Amelia Earhart papers, including flight logs, maps, correspondence, licences, photographs, newspaper reports, speeches and aviation documents. The collection includes material relating to her flying career and attempted journey around the world. Teachers can use these historical sources for KS3 research, source analysis and discussions about women’s changing roles in the twentieth century.
• National Geographic Kids has created an illustrated timeline of Amelia Earhart’s life, from her birth in 1897 and early flying lessons to her record-breaking transatlantic flight and disappearance in 1937. The accessible chronological presentation is useful for primary reading comprehension, historical sequencing, biography writing and creating classroom displays about significant explorers.
• The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum provides STEM education materials exploring Earhart’s life and the science of aviation. Its teacher resources include excerpts from elementary and middle-school teaching guides, covering historical research, mathematics, navigation, engineering and problem-solving. The website also introduces an online learning programme for younger pupils, combining animated storytelling with lessons about Earhart’s achievements.
• The United States National Archives has published a substantial collection of digitised government documents relating to Amelia Earhart’s final flight and the search for her aircraft. Materials include investigation records, search charts, correspondence and contemporary reports. These provide challenging primary sources for KS3 history pupils to evaluate competing historical interpretations, assess the reliability of evidence and distinguish established facts from unproven theories.

BISAC JNF007120, JNF007020, JNF057010. | Thema YNB, YNTR.