Books by Jan Van der Veken
Planes: from the Wright Brothers to the supersonic jet
by Jan Van der Veken
Planes is a nonfiction book tracing the history of airplane design in an attractive, somewhat retro illustration style. It also covers how flight works in terms of atmosphere and weather, and communication and navigation. The overly short chapter on the future of flight fails to mention electric flight and doesn’t reflect the exciting range of new technologies that are currently being dreamt up and tested. That aside, this is a stylish guide to the history and mechanics of aviation.
Ages 7-12
Interviews where books by Jan Van der Veken were recommended
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1
The False Rose
Jakob Wegelius, translated by Peter Graves -

2
The Secret Detectives
by Ella Risbridger -

3
Above and Below: Sea and Shore
Harriet Evans & Hannah Bailey (illustrator) -

4
The Shark Caller
by Zillah Bethell -

5
A Wish in the Dark
by Christina Soontornvat -

6
Circus Maximus: Race to the Death
by Annelise Gray
Best Children’s Books of 2021
Best Children’s Books of 2021
A lot of excellent books for kids have come out in 2021. It’s turned out to be a very strong year for middle grade fiction (novels for children age 8-12), especially fiction in a historical setting. We made sure to include plenty of picture books and nonfiction as well.






