Part of the Historical American Biographies series, this personalized account of America’s adored darling of aviation avoids a didactic tone most of the time by incorporating many quotes from Earhart into the narrative. Each of the ten chapters opens with one appropriate to the events such as, “Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.” The concise text, quite readable due to the many anecdotes, is documented with footnotes. Backmatter includes a chronology, glossary, bibliography of six children’s books, three Internet sites, and an index. An epilogue discusses Earhart’s mysterious disappearance and cites various theories. A solid landing. (b&w photos, not seen) (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: June 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-7660-1976-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Enslow
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
From Lewin (Fair!, 1997, etc.), a memorable assortment of anecdotes and encounters that weren’t, for one reason or another, picture-book material. At a page or two each, they never form a connected narrative, but make vivid, stand-alone verbal snapshots, “taken” in Botswana, Egypt, Norway, and other exotic places: witnessing the killing and butchering of a wildebeest in the Kalahari; nervously pushing a truck over a submerged bridge past the “DANGER—CROCODILES” sign; laughing as a caribou deliberately spooks a group of hikers in Alaska, then turning to see a grizzly not 50 feet away; visiting a brawling Egyptian camel market; renting a jeep from the king of Ranthambor, India; vainly trying to stop the fire from smoking in a reindeer-hide tepee 125 miles above the Arctic Circle. Illustrated with a glossy section of watercolor sketches and full-color photos, these vignettes are written with an eye for arresting detail, plus the offhand humor that made Lewin’s memoir, I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler (1993) such a delight. (Memoir. 10-12)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-14109-9
Page Count: 68
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999
“S.S” Gigantic Across The Atlantic (40 pp.; $16.00; May; 0-689-82467-X): A gleeful poke at the Titanic tale and mythology, as well as at anyone involved in boasts of “biggest,” “best,” and “most.” Pip-Squeak, a young lad in search of adventure, and unafraid to toot his own horn, meets up with adult hyperbole in the form of Captain Bragg, whose ship is the “S.S.” Gigantic, and whose gloating skills are only slightly less flamboyant than the claims he makes for his vessel. The ship survives a large iceberg (sinking it, in fact), and—unlike Titanic—gets a second chance. A shiplore send-up, in amusing stylized art. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-689-82467-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999
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