FLY, GIRL, FLY

The story of how Shaesta Waiz became the youngest woman in history, and the first woman from Afghanistan, to circle the globe in a single-engine aircraft.

"You must believe in yourself and allow your dreams to soar." --Shaesta Waiz

Shaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan, dreamed of doing great things. But first she had to leave a refugee camp with her family to make a new life in America, overcome gender stereotypes, be the first in her family to go to college, and overcome her fear of flying. After becoming a pilot, Shaesta made the flight of a lifetime by crossing five continents, making thirty stops in twenty-two countries across nearly 25,000 nautical miles. At the age of thirty, Shaesta was the youngest woman and the first from Afghanistan to circumnavigate the globe by herself in a single-engine aircraft.

Fly, Girl, Fly! is the first authorized picture book biography of Shaesta Waiz. Backmatter includes more information about Shaesta's mission to empower girls to pursue STEM careers, details about her historic trip around the world, information about her nonprofit organization Dreams Soar, and a personal note from Shaesta Waiz encouraging girls to pursue their dreams.
Ages 4-8

Nancy Roe Pimm is an award-winning author of many books and articles for children, including the middle-grade biography The Jerrie Mock Story: The First Woman to Fly Solo around the World.

Alexandra Bye is a New England local who works as a full-time freelance illustrator. In addition to Fly, Girl, Fly!, she is the illustrator of A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland written by Caroline Starr Rose and The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America written by Kathleen Krull.