Aunt Claire Presents (Book Three): The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship

Vintage series books are always fun to read, as the language is so rich, the dialogue and actions usually reveal a lot about the time period in which the book was written, and the stories are ... well, they are so innocent and naive in a lot of ways.  Thus, I am truly enjoying this Aunt Claire Presents series of reprints, as they allow me to escape the confines of this media-heavy, technology-addicted century that we live in and enter a world where simple things such as airplanes and automobiles are things of awe and wonder!

The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship is the third book in the Aunt Claire Presents series, and it is also the first book in The Girl Aviators series from the early 1900s.  Originally published in 1911 (wow! more than 100 years ago!), the story follows Peggy Prescott and her brother, Roy, as they attempt to save their home from a greedy bank manager intent on foreclosing their home if they won't sell him the airplane that their father began to build and the two youngsters finished.  But, as with all series book protagonists, these two teenagers are not that gullible, and so they refuse the offer and work to make their "Golden Butterfly" the best it can be, so as to win an upcoming air show, with a grand prize of $5,000!  (Can you imagine the worth of $5,000 back in 1911???)

The mystery from which the title is derived stems from a mysterious airship that Peggy and Roy see in the night sky when they are fighting the wind - the strange craft seems impervious to the winds, and although they can only see the red and green lights, it is clear the airplane is far superior to their own as they are nearly blown out to sea.  Interestingly enough, however, that is the only appearance of the "phantom airship," and no other real mention is made of the mystery.  Instead, the greater mystery seems to involve the theft of their friend Jess's wallet of jewels (including a family heirloom ruby) valued at ten thousand dollars!  Throughout the entire book, Peggy is curious as to who took the jewels, and although she suspects it is Fanning Harding, the son of the banker who is determined to prove he can build a better airplane than Roy Prescott.

But even the mystery of the missing jewels takes a backseat to the thrill and danger of flying in up in the clouds and the excitement of the upcoming air show.  It is interesting to note the varied reactions to Peggy and Roy as they fly into various places - the excitement and wonder of Jess and James Bancroft, the apprehension of the older doctor, and the fear and uncertainty of the lighthouse keeper.  Plus, author Margaret Burnham clearly has her own thoughts on women's rights, even back in the early 1900s, for although Roy is thrust into the limelight when it comes to the airplane, it is truly Peggy who often saves the day, and even their friends Jess and James (or "Jimsy" as Peggy calls him) recognize the large contribution that Peggy puts into it.  Of course, flying is a man's territory, so Peggy tends to stand back and allow her brother to take the spotlight (even though it's clear the author believes women are just as capable, if not more so, than women).  An interesting example of this occurs when the villains in the story kidnap Roy and he ends up trapped at the bottom of a well, and Peggy is forced to disguise herself as her brother and take flight in the contest to avoid having to forfeit their chance at the $5,000 cash prize!  This is quite the switch, particularly for those days, since it was usually the female character who was in trouble, and the male lead had to rescue her!

The internal illustrations are reproduced in the book as well, which add some nice flavor to the enjoyment of the book, and the hardcover to the book reproduces a facsimile of the original cloth cover board, including "stains" to give it a true vintage feel.  As with the prior two, "Aunt Claire" provides an introduction to the story, giving a background as to the time period, the subject matter, and the biases and stereotypes found within the story.  I can certainly see these books used in a classroom for educational purposes - not only do they make for a fun read, but they could certainly provide opportunities for students to study the history of our nation through series fiction!

I without a doubt recommend these books and hope that the series is selling well enough to warrant more reproductions (as there are currently only four books out - two in the Grace Harlowe series, one in the Automobile Girls series, and this one in the Girl Aviators series).

RATING:  7 silvery-bearded hermits out of 10 for a rather tame mystery but an exciting glimpse into the past awe and wonder of air flight!