The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship


Read by Lee Ann Howlett

(3.9 stars; 14 reviews)

Teenagers Peggy Prescott and her brother Roy share a love of aviation that they inherited from their late father. Mr. Prescott had always dreamed of building an aeroplane that would be free of the defects of planes already invented. Peggy and Roy manage to build a plane starting with the framework their father had begun. Peggy christens it ‘The Golden Buttefly’ and she and Roy are determined to enter it in a young aviator’s contest for a prize of $5000. The Prescotts need the money desperately to save the home they share with their aunt which is about to be taken from them by the rather nasty banker, Mr. Harding. Peggy and Roy along with their best friends, Jess and Jimsy Bancroft – also sister and brother, experience many adventures – many of them while flying the Golden Butterfly. A kidnapping, missing jewels and contact with some desperate characters are just some of what the Prescotts encounter in their Long Island village of Sandy Bay. There’s never a dull moment for these two as they pursue their dream of flying. (Summary by Lee Ann Howlett.) (4 hr 26 min)

Chapters

The Golden Butterfly 18:17 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Suspense and Achievement 15:02 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
The Clouds Gather 12:53 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Jess and Roy 9:42 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
A Narrow Escape 10:25 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
A Roadside Mystery 13:05 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Peggy is Puzzled 13:25 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Hester's Ruby 9:56 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
A Race Against Time 9:47 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
The Rival Aeroplane 9:27 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
In Direst Peril 12:07 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
What Happened on the Island 10:32 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Jukes Dade Appears 8:51 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
A Girl Aviator's Adventure 9:33 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
The Hermit of the Woods 9:38 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
The Enemy's Move 9:40 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
A Coward and His Ways 10:57 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
The Daring of Peggy 10:42 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Brother and Sister 12:18 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
In the Nick of Time 11:46 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
The Phantom Airship 6:41 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Jim Bell of the West 7:25 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Like Thieves in the Night 10:52 Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Hester Makes Amends -- Conclusion 13:06 Read by Lee Ann Howlett

Reviews

Love the reader!


(5 stars)

Lee Ann Howlett is so charming and delightful. She is one of Libravox' very best readers. The book itself is an old fashioned childrens - or "young adults" - story about the early days of aviation, home made aeroplanes, the good kids vs. the bad guys. Personally, I think the bad guys, especially the baddest bad guy, got off way too easy. I note that none of the malfunctioning home made planes crashed straight into the ground or blew up in midair or anything like that. They just gently wafted to earth. But hey, like I said, it's an old fashioned book for kids!

disappointed


(0.5 stars)

I didn't get more than a few chapters into this. The book seemed to be more about Roy than about the girls, and I didn't really like his character. I gave it away when Jess proclaimed her thankfulness that Roy was a "big strong boy" and could help her collect her mother's jewels. I get that the book was written in a different era. But it was too painful for me. Great reader though.