Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

Fleming, Candace

ISBN 10: 0375945989 ISBN 13: 9780375945984

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade, 2011

Synopsis

From the acclaimed author of The Great and Only Barnum—as well as The Lincolns, Our Eleanor, and Ben Franklin's Almanac—comes the thrilling story of America's most celebrated flyer, Amelia Earhart.

In alternating chapters, Fleming deftly moves readers back and forth between Amelia's life (from childhood up until her last flight) and the exhaustive search for her and her missing plane. With incredible photos, maps, and handwritten notes from Amelia herself—plus informative sidebars tackling everything from the history of flight to what Amelia liked to eat while flying (tomato soup)—this unique nonfiction title is tailor-made for middle graders.

Amelia Lost received four starred reviews and Best Book of the Year accolades from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book Magazine, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.
From the Hardcover edition.

About this title

About the Author:

CANDACE FLEMING is the prolific author of The Great and Only Barnum, a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction nominee and a Publishers Weekly and Booklist Best Book; The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award recipient; Our Eleanor, an ALA Best Book for Young Adult's; and Ben Franklin's Almanac, a James Madison Honor Book. She is also the author of many highly acclaimed picture books.

From Booklist:

Drawing on her training as a historian and her considerable writing talents, Fleming (The Great and Only Barnum, 2009) offers a fresh look at this famous aviatrix. Employing dual narratives—straightforward biographical chapters alternating with a chilling recounting of Earhart’s final flight and the search that followed—Fleming seeks to uncover the “history in the hype,” pointing out numerous examples in which Earhart took an active role in mythologizing her own life. While not disparaging Earhart’s achievements, Fleming cites primary sources revealing that Earhart often flew without adequate preparation and that she and her husband, George Putnam, used every opportunity to promote her celebrity, including soliciting funds from sponsors. The use of a gray-tone background for the disappearance chapters successfully differentiates the narratives for younger readers. Frequent sidebars, well-chosen maps, archival documents, and photos further clarify textual references without disturbing the overall narrative flow. Appended with a generous bibliography and detailed source notes, this is a book most libraries will want both for its fascinating story and as an illustration of how research can alter historical perspective. Grades 4-7. --Kay Weisman

About this edition

• Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0375945989
• ISBN 13: 9780375945984
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 128