Published by little bee books

Summary:  Georgia Ann Thompson only weighed three pounds when she was born in 1893.  She would remain Tiny all her life, both her stature and her nickname.  Forced to start working in factories at the age of 6, Tiny escaped by climbing trees and dreaming of the future.  When she saw a man parachute off of a hot air balloon at the 1907 North Carolina State Fair, she told the aeronaut that she must learn how to do the same thing.  Her determination paid off, and by the 1908 State Fair, she had become a parachutist.  She thrived in her career despite odd landing spots and multiple broken bones.  When airplanes arrived, Tiny became the first woman to parachute from a plane.  In one attempt, the line connecting her to the plane got tangled.  She cut herself loose, going into free fall until she was able to reach behind her and pull the cord that would open her parachute, inadvertently creating the first ripcord.  Includes an author’s note with additional information and photos of Tiny, as well as a bibliography.  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  A thrilling adventure story about a little-known woman whose courage and determination made her an early aviation pioneer.  

Cons:  I thought from the title that Tiny invented the ripcord, but it seems as though someone else developed it from her accidental innovativeness.