Awards/Selection Lists:
- Nonfiction titles from ALSC Notable Books lists 2002-2013
- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
- Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction, 2012
- Horn Book, starred review
- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
- School Library Journal, starred review
- Richie's Picks
Brief Summary: Most people know of the amazing story of Amelia Earhart, the first woman to cross the Atlantic, lost of her world hopping trip across the equator, with her troubled but brilliant navigator, Fred Noonan. There have been numerous books over the years speculating over the why and the how but this is the first book I have read that actually chronicles the life, from beginning to end, and nature of Amelia Earhart. A tomboy, a student, a nurse, a social worker, a sister, a daughter, a firecracker, a pilot, a wife.....she was many things and she led a colorful life and broke through social barriers with a finesse that continues to inspire generations of women. She wanted to be free, she wanted to be happy, and no one was going to get in her way.
Personal Reaction: I really, really enjoyed this book. Earhart has been a favorite subject for me since I was child. I grasped onto characters who refused to be pushed around and hide who they were, who bucked against the system to pave the way for future children to find their true paths, hopefully with less discrimination and hardship. This book on Amelia's life is the most complete, compassionate, personal I have read. There are so many photos and accounts, personal details that many others leave behind that really let you connect with her character, her choices and her driving force. I particularly like the interspersed "special sections" which recount first hand accounts of people, many being children, who believe they heard some of Amelia's final words or discovered her location, though no one would listen.
Though her death was incredibly sad, she left a legacy, and through the story that Candace Fleming weaves of her life, we can really understand what a brave and formidable woman she was.
Though her death was incredibly sad, she left a legacy, and through the story that Candace Fleming weaves of her life, we can really understand what a brave and formidable woman she was.
Front/Back Matter: Title page, copyright page, acknowledgments, contents, foreword (Navigating History), content, bibliography, "Finding Amelia on the web" sources notes by chapter, picture credits, index.
Content Evaluation: This book is very well organized, with a lot of source notes (which I love, it always makes the book easier to believe in), and fantastic resources. There are hundreds of photographs included, but they are organized in a way that doesn't detract from the story, but rather helps carry it and form attachment. The tone is strong, factual, but compassionate and it is a great, and fast read.
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