Chapter Books for Young Readers — Review

Last Chance Bay

by Anne Laurel Carter
Penguin Canada, 2004
ISBN 0-14-301663-6
$17.00, 172 pp, ages 8 – 12
www.penguin.ca

It is 1937 in Cape Breton, and young Meg Christie, inspired by Amelia Earhart and Beryl Markham, wants to fly an airplane. As the daughter of a poor coal miner, the chances of her realizing her ambition are highly unlikely, but that doesn’t stop her from dreaming. She misses one opportunity to get into the air when a pilot selling rides at an air show in Sydney promises to take her up if she can  find ten paying customers. Just as she fulfills her end of the bargain, a storm hits the airfield and she is grounded. Much later, the pilot reappears to keep his promise to her and to his now dead war buddy, who also happens to be Meg’s beloved cousin. More than just the story of a young girl’s passion for flying, Last Chance Bay paints a picture of life in a coal mining village and the effect that World War II had on the families in the village. Girls in particular will enjoy reading this book, and it could be a springboard for research into the fascinating story of Amelia Earhart and other pioneering female pilots.

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