"Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride"
by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Student Edition
Unit 5, pp. 564–575

Historical fiction is set in the past, with characters based on real people who lived at the time. As you read this Snapshot, think about the two main characters.

Eleanor and Amelia were friends. Both were outspoken and daring. Eleanor found out that Amelia was going to be in town, so she invited Amelia and her husband to dinner at her house. That is not unusual. But Eleanor's husband was President Franklin Roosevelt, and the house they lived in was the White House. And Amelia was Amelia Earhart, the famous aviator. She was the first woman to fly a plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean. When these two women got together, something exciting would surely happen.
Amelia dressed for dinner. She put on high-heeled shoes, an evening gown, and long white evening gloves. They were very different from the clothes she wore when she was flying. People wondered why she flew. She always said, "It's fun!" She liked feeling independent. And she always felt that way in the cockpit.
At the same time, Eleanor was getting ready. She too was dressing up. Finally she pulled on her evening gloves. They were very different from those she wore when she was driving. She had just gotten a new car. She could not wait to drive it. Some people thought the First Lady should not drive herself. But she said, "It's practical!" And she too liked feeling independent.
The evening was beautiful, brisk, and without a cloud in the sky. The Red Room looked elegant. Someone said that Eleanor had just received her license as a student pilot. Amelia had encouraged Eleanor to do it. She promised to teach Eleanor how to fly.
Everyone asked what it was like to fly at night. Amelia was one of the few people at that time who had ever done it. Eleanor asked what Washington looked like. Amelia said she would have to see for herself. Suddenly Amelia said, "We should go now! It's a beautiful night to fly!"
The Secret Service men did not like the idea. But Eleanor wanted to go. So they took the two women to the airport. Amelia slipped into the pilot's seat, her long gloves still on. Eleanor sat in the passenger's seat. She said it was funny to see a pilot in a white dress and high-heeled shoes. Amelia laughed.
As they rose above Washington, Amelia turned off the lights inside the plane. There it was! The Potomac River glittered in the moonlight. The capitol dome looked as if it had a halo. The monuments looked like toys. Eleanor was thrilled.
When they got back to the White House, the two women slipped back outside. Next thing anyone knew, they were in Eleanor's new car. They drove around Washington and saw the sights closer up. This time Amelia was thrilled.
Then they headed back to the White House for dessert.

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Illustrations by Brian Selznick, Scholastic, Inc., 1999.

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