Library Lady’s K-12 Edition is a mostly weekly newsletter for K-12 school librarians. Today’s topic is — INational Aviation Day
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National Aviation Day: Helping Young Readers Reach New Heights
National Aviation Day, celebrated each year on August 19, honors the birthday of Orville Wright and recognizes the remarkable history of flight. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for school librarians to inspire curiosity about aviation, engineering, exploration, and the people who dared to dream of flying.
The story of aviation is much more than airplanes—it’s a story of imagination, perseverance, problem-solving, and innovation. Those are lessons that fit perfectly in every school library.
Here are a few easy ways to bring the excitement of flight into your library this month.
✈️ Build a High-Flying Book Display
Gather fiction and nonfiction books about aviation, famous pilots, hot air balloons, helicopters, airports, and space exploration. Include biographies of aviation pioneers such as the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman, Harriet Quimby, and the Tuskegee Airmen. A display that combines history, STEM, and adventure is sure to catch students’ attention.
📖 Pair Stories with Science
Aviation naturally connects literacy with STEM. After reading a picture book about the Wright brothers or another aviation pioneer, invite students to discuss the qualities successful inventors share. Curiosity, perseverance, careful observation, and learning from mistakes are valuable lessons that extend far beyond science class.
🛩️ Host a Paper Airplane Challenge
A simple paper airplane activity can become a memorable library event. Encourage students to experiment with different folding designs and predict which airplane will fly the farthest or stay in the air the longest. Follow the activity with books about flight, engineering, or famous aviators.
🌍 Take Reading Around the World
Create a world map and invite students to place paper airplanes on countries featured in books they’ve read. It’s a fun way to combine geography, reading, and the spirit of exploration that has always been part of aviation.
🎯 Spotlight “Firsts” in Aviation
Children love discovering amazing milestones. Feature books and facts about:
- The Wright brothers’ first powered flight
- Amelia Earhart’s transatlantic flights
- Bessie Coleman becoming the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license
- The first jet aircraft
- Modern drones and helicopters
These stories remind students that every historic achievement began with someone willing to try something new.
🚀 Encourage Students to Dream Big
Ask students, “If you could fly anywhere in the world—or beyond—where would you go?” Display their responses on paper airplanes, hot air balloons, or clouds around your library. It’s a simple activity that sparks imagination while encouraging writing and creativity.
Libraries have always been places where curiosity takes flight. By celebrating National Aviation Day, we remind students that books can carry them across oceans, through history, and even into the skies. The next great pilot, engineer, inventor, or explorer may discover their passion simply by checking out the right book.
August Celebrations
Picture Books for Heading Back to School
Picture Books About Inventors and Inventions
10 Creative Bulletin Board Ideas for National Inventors Month
Gentle Giants: 20 Wonderful Picture Books About Elephants
10 High-Flying Bulletin Board Ideas for National Aviation Day
Books About Virginia Dare and America’s First English Settlement
Soaring Stories: Picture Books About Aviation and Flight
This coming week, look for these posts
The weekday series, August in the Library, will continue throughout August.
| Need to raise funds for your library? Here are some posts on my blog that describe my fundraising camps. |
August Birthdays
| Date | Person | Occupation | Library Connection |
| August 1 | Herman Melville | Author | Wrote Moby-Dick, an American literature classic. |
| August 1 | Francis Scott Key | Lawyer & Poet | Wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.” |
| August 4 | Louis Armstrong | Musician | Jazz legend; great connection to music appreciation. |
| August 7 | Mata Hari | Historical Figure | Interesting biography and history discussions. |
| August 8 | Sara Teasdale | Poet | Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet. |
| August 10 | Suzanne Collins | Author | Wrote The Hunger Games series. |
| August 10 | Herbert Hoover | U.S. President | Biography and American history. |
| August 11 | Enid Blyton | Children’s Author | One of the world’s best-selling children’s authors. |
| August 12 | Walter Dean Myers | Children’s & YA Author | Award-winning author of more than 100 books. |
| August 12 | Cecil B. DeMille | Film Director | Literature-to-film discussions. |
| August 13 | Alfred Hitchcock | Film Director | Mystery and suspense connections. |
| August 14 | Ernest Thayer | Poet | Wrote “Casey at the Bat.” |
| August 15 | Sir Walter Scott | Author | Historical novels including Ivanhoe. |
| August 15 | Julia Child | Chef & Author | Cookbooks and food literacy. |
| August 17 | Gene Stratton-Porter | Author & Naturalist | Nature writing and classic children’s literature. |
| August 18 | Virginia Dare | Historical Figure | First English child born in America. |
| August 19 | Orville Wright | Inventor | Aviation, STEM, and invention themes. |
| August 21 | Christopher Robin Milne | Author | Inspiration behind the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. |
| August 22 | Ray Bradbury | Author | Fahrenheit 451 and science fiction classics. |
| August 22 | Dorothy Parker | Writer & Poet | Humor, poetry, and short stories. |
| August 25 | Leonard Bernstein | Composer | Music and performing arts. |
| August 26 | Mother Teresa | Humanitarian | Biography, compassion, and service themes. |
| August 27 | Lyndon B. Johnson | U.S. President | American history. |
| August 28 | Louis Pasteur | Scientist | STEM, microbiology, and scientific discovery. |
| August 30 | Mary Shelley | Author | Wrote Frankenstein. |
| August 31 | Maria Montessori | Educator | Early childhood education and learning. |
Other Recent Blog Posts
Here are some posts you may want to check out.
Book Character Stuffed Animals Every School Library Needs
Recent Adult Book Reviews
Adult Review – Mail-Order Viscountess
Recent YA Book Reviews
YA Review – For This Very Purpose – young adult Biblical Fiction
Recent MS Book Reviews
MS – The Hobgoblin’s Nightlight – middle school fantasy
MS Spotlight – Logan vs. the Pouty Paw Paw – mid-grade fantasy
Recent Kid Book Reviews
Kid Review – Liam and the Cooking Disaster – chapter book
Items in my Shop
Cute animals with books – stickers, shirts and more in my Redbubble Shop
What I’m Checking Out
NASA’s 10 Favorite Ways to Celebrate National Aviation Day
5 Ways to Celebrate National Aviation Day
Some things that might interest you
📚 Tools for School Librarians 📚
As librarians, we’re always looking for creative ways to engage students and enhance programming. These tools are easy to use. Explore them today and see how they might fit into your toolkit.
K-2 Back To School – I promoted this earlier, and it looks like you can still get it at the launch price. I have personally used this to create library printables. If you purchase through my link, you will receive a booklet titled Your First Hour with Educational GPTs to walk you through using educational GPTs. You can purchase a K-2 version, a 3-6 version, or the full K-6 bundle (which I recommend). The sales page the link takes you to is for the K-2 edition. If you scroll down, you will come to a header that says Need Grades 3-6? Click on that link, and on that page you can choose either 3-6 or K-6. If you need help, please let me know. Sharon does a great job of walking you through using the product.
Authors and librarians, would you like to have a post on this blog?
I’d like to add a couple of features to my blog in the coming months and would appreciate your help. I am looking for school librarians interested in being interviewed on the blog. I am also looking for librarians and children’s or young adult authors to do guest posts on the blog. Click on the links below to fill out a survey.
Is there a way I can help you? Drop a note in the comments or shoot me an email. I’d love to help.
See you next week.
Jane (Library Lady)
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