A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland

by Caroline Starr Rose, Alexandra Bye (Illustrator)

Overview

Best Picture Books of 2019, The Christian Science Monitor
A Mighty Girl's 2019 Books of the Year
Kirkus Reviews' Best Indie Picture Books of 2020

The true story of two women who raced against time—and each other!

In 1889, New York reporter Nellie Bly—inspired by Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days—began a circumnavigation she hoped to complete in less time. Her trip was sponsored by her employer, The World. Just hours after her ship set out across the Atlantic, another New York publication put writer Elizabeth Bisland on a westbound train. Bisland was headed around the world in the opposite direction, thinking she could beat Bly's time. Only one woman could win the race, but both completed their journeys in record time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807500118
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Series:	She Made History
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD760L (what's this?)
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Caroline Starr Rose is an award-winning middle grade and picture book author whose books have been ALA-ALSC Notable, Junior Library Guild, ABA New Voices, Kids’ Indie Next, Amazon’s Best Books of the Month for Kids, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books selections. In addition, her books have been nominated for almost two dozen state award lists. She lives with her husband and two sons in New Mexico.
Alexandra Bye graduated from the New Hampshire Institute of Art. She lives in New Hampshire, where she enjoys mountain biking, Nordic ski racing and hiking in the White Mountains with her dogs.

Editorial Reviews

Best Picture Books of 2019, The Christian Science Monitor
A Mighty Girl's 2019 Books of the Year
Kirkus Reviews' Best Indie Picture Books of 2020

"The story of two daring women is well told...An exciting story to inspire young adventurers."—Christian Science Monitor

STARRED REVIEW! "Rose captures both the wonder of the world as the women experience it, as well as the dangers and miseries of their journeys. An absorbing account of a real-life adventure."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

From the Publisher

"The story of two daring women is well told.... An exciting story to inspire young adventurers."—Christian Science Monitor

Christian Science Monitor

★ 2019-11-15
Rose (Ride On, Will Cody!, 2017, etc.) explores the true story of a race between two accomplished 19th-century women in this children's book featuring illustrations by Bye (Leading the Way, 2019).

In 1889, famed reporter Nellie Bly believed that she could circle the globe faster than anyone had before—in less than the 80 days of Jules Verne's fictional hero. She pitched the story to her boss at the New York World, who, after initial protests, approved her journey. As Bly left New York City, heading east, Cosmopolitan writer Elizabeth Bisland was sent off to the west, with little notice, to race Bly back to the city. In this entry in the She Makes History series, Rose reports the travels of both women in tandem, showing the eastward movement of Bly and the westward travel of Bisland as the reporters encountered successes and setbacks. Rose's text and Bye's cartoon-style color images, which accurately and vividly depict the era in detail, allow young readers to get a deeper sense of what living in the late 1800s was like and how travel, by various methods, was very different than it is in the modern day. The extensive text never overwhelms the illustrations, though, and Bye depicts the players in action-oriented poses that propel the story forward. One particularly elegant two-page spread shows the two travelers' ships literally passing in the night. Rose captures both the wonder of the world as the women experience it as well as the dangers and miseries of their journeys. Her straightforward vocabulary and accessible narration will let young readers immerse themselves in the history. Endnotes offer greater context for the role of women reporters of the era, highlighting the main characters' tremendous achievements.

An absorbing account of a real-life adventure in a series that showcases historical accomplishments of women.

Kirkus Reviews