Reach for the Sky: How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown
How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown
Plumleaf Press · Print & ebook · August 21, 2025
As the Great Depression brought families and cities to their knees, fifteen-year-old Robert Shun Wong and his eleven-year-old brother Tommy, dreamed of flying.
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- Who it’s for
- Two brothers build a single-seat plane in Vancouver’s Chinatown during the Great Depression.
- Themes
- Brotherly collaboration, Dreams realized through ingenuity, Perseverance amid discrimination
- Genres
- Aviation, Asian American Life (U.S.), Cultural Heritage Biographies for Kids
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Start with this bookAbout this book
As the Great Depression brought families and cities to their knees, fifteen-year-old Robert Shun Wong and his eleven-year-old brother Tommy, dreamed of flying. Money was tight, racial discrimination was high and times were tough. But in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown, Robert and Tommy built a single-seat plane - a Pietenpol Sky Scout. Pushing the boundaries of their world, the two brothers were soon flying beyond their wildest dreams!
Continue reading
This inspiring true story, lovingly crafted by Robert’s daughter Evelyn Sue Wong and beautifully illustrated by artist Sarah Ang, will dare young readers to test their limits, set their eyes beyond the horizon and reach for the sky.
A Chinatown Airplane
Two brothers build a single-seat plane in Vancouver’s Chinatown during the Great Depression.
Come here for
- The Pietenpol Sky Scout built by Robert and Tommy Wong
- A Chinatown story set during the Great Depression
Expect
- Robert was fifteen; Tommy was eleven
- The story addresses racial discrimination and tight finances
Where it sits
| Cultural Heritage Biographies for Kids | 80% |
|---|---|
| Asian American Life (U.S.) | 74% |
| Aviation | 47% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Canadian Biographies
- Authors
- Evelyn Wong
- Publisher
- Plumleaf Press
- Published
- August 21, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Brotherly collaboration · Dreams realized through ingenuity · Perseverance amid discrimination
- Reading lane
- Canadian Biographies