2025 Best STEM Book Winner 2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner In the 1850s, proper young ladies were supposed to keep their feet on the ground (literally and metaphorically), but Mary dreamed of flying. Luckily, she married Carl Myers, a balloon enthusiast whose dreams were just as lofty as hers. Together, they designed and constructed balloons of all shapes and sizes, a difficult and dangerous job that required knowledge of chemistry, engineering, and meteorology. But how could they know which balloon designs worked best? They needed someone adventurous who could do balloon tricks for crowds while recording flight data. Mary knew just the person . . . herself! She gave herself the stage name Carlotta and anxiously awaited her first flight. Would she make it into the air? Could she collect the data they needed? Mary battled thick clouds and bone-chilling cold, but she went higher and farther than she hoped, and returned ready for her next flight. Mary wouldn’t stay tied down. Soar with Sue Ganz-Schmitt as she brilliantly spotlights the life of Mary Myers, aka Carlotta, who always had her mind and heart in the skies. “Remarkable account of a phenomenal female aeronaut! As a young, female mechanical engineer and pilot, I am captivated by Mary’s story and her fantastic contribution to the worlds of aviation and science.”—Savannah Bradley, 4th generation balloon pilot