When sixteen-year-old Dolly Shepherd is offered the chance to take to the sky in a hot-air balloon, there's no way she's going to turn it down. Even though the pilot actually plans for her to jump out of the balloon and plummet back to earth using just a flimsy parachute.For Dolly, it's the start of a sensational career. But the life of an aeronaut is as dangerous as it is daring, and there will be many narrow escapes along the way ...Pioneering aviatrix Dolly Shepherd comes alive in this thrilling reimagining of her death-defying exploits from bestselling author Karen McCombie.

Karen McCombie is the bestselling author of over 90 books for children and teenagers. Her most recent titles include the Carnegie Medal nominated Little Bird Flies and the hugely popular series St Grizzle's School for Girls. Before becoming an author Karen worked for teen magazines such as J-17 and Sugar, in roles as diverse as fashion editor, quiz writer and pet correspondent. Originally from Scotland, she now lives in London with her family and assorted cats, who all give her inspiration for her books, whether they like it or not.