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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 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.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Excerpts-
From the book
ON THE MORNING OF JULY 2, 1937, the coast guard cutter Itasca drifted on the Pacific Ocean, waiting... listening…. Hundreds of miles to the west, the famous female pilot Amelia Earhart was winging her way toward Howland Island—a narrow spit of coral sand just to the west of the ship. On this tiny dot of land, a handful of laborers had hastily built a runway just for Earhart, because she needed a place to land and refuel during the last leg of her around-the-world flight. But finding Howland Island from the air was a difficult task. Only two miles long and a half mile wide, Howland sits in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean. “Only the most highly skilled and experienced fliers could ever have spotted it,” remarked one sailor aboard Itasca. This was the reason the cutter was standing by. The crew hoped to help Earhart by making the island easier to spot. At midnight, searchlights had been switched on, serving as a beacon for the plane in case it picked up a tailwind and arrived early. At dawn, the ship’s boilers had taken over, belching out thick black clouds of smoke as a visual signal. Meanwhile, the ship’s radio stood ready to send and receive messages. Chief Radioman Leo Bellarts himself had checked to make sure the transmitters and receivers were working properly. Earlier it had been agreed that Earhart would send her radio call letters—KHAQQ—and any other necessary flight information on 3105 kilocycles (similar to a radio channel). In this way, plane and ship hoped to stay in contact. But Itasca didn’t hear from Earhart until 2:45 a.m. “Cloudy and overcast,” she calmly reported. The rest of her message was lost in static. For the past several hours Itasca had been sending Earhart the Morse code letter “A”—another aid to help guide her to the island. But if she heard this signal, she didn’t respond to it. Around four a.m. a radioman from the coast guard’s San Francisco division sent a message to Itasca. “Have you established contact with the plane yet?” he asked. “[We’ve] heard her,” replied Radioman Third Class Thomas O’Hare, “but don’t know if she hears us.” Itasca went on sending and listening. Just before five a.m. they heard Earhart again. “Partly cloudy,” she reported before her voice was once again lost in static. Tense, Bellarts leaned closer to his radio set. For more than an hour, he and the other radiomen heard only the scratching of empty air waves. Then—
6:14 a.m.: “ITASCA, THIS IS KHAQQ. . . . WANT BEARING. . . . WILL WHISTLE IN MIKE.”
Earhart then announced she was about two hundred miles away and started whistling into her radio’s microphone. Itasca’s crew was surprised. The ship did have a direction finder that could pick up radio signals and determine where they were coming from. But their finder was unable to pick up the radio frequency Earhart was broadcasting on. Now, as she whistled into her mike, they realized the horrible truth—they could not help her! Remembered Leo Bellarts, “I was sitting there sweating blood because I couldn’t do a darn thing about it.” Then Earhart stopped transmitting. For thirty minutes, radio operators tried making contact with her. Then, suddenly, she was back on the air, stronger than ever.
6:45 a.m.: “PLEASE TAKE BEARING ON US. . . . I WILL MAKE NOISE IN MIKE. . . . ABOUT ONE HUNDRED MILES OUT.”
What could...
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.
Reviews-
January 17, 2011 In a stirring account of an American icon, Fleming (The Great and Only Barnum) seeks to portray the Amelia behind the mythology—some of which, she explains, was perpetuated by Earhart herself. Chapters alternate between the tense search for the pilot's missing plane and a chronological progression through her life, complemented by b&w photographs and other materials smoothly incorporated into the book's crisp Art Deco–inspired design. Readers learn about Earhart's free-spirited early childhood, first inclinations toward flying, and other pursuits, which included medicine, writing, and fashion. An overview of the era's social and political climate, particularly as it pertained to women, should help readers grasp the significance of Earhart's accomplishments. Some anecdotes evidence a cutthroat nature (after Earhart and her husband have a fellow aviator's lecture tour canceled, the aviator recalls, "my friendship for Amelia quickly waned"). This honest depiction of Earhart's professional and personal life forms a complete portrait of a complex woman, making her final doomed flight (and a reproduction of a teenager's notebook transcription of what may have been Earhart's last radio transmission) all the more affecting. Ages 8–12.
Starred review from January 1, 2011
The most intriguing part of Amelia Earhart's life is often thought to be the way it ended. A mysterious disappearance and an unsolved rescue mission is a powerful story on its own. But Fleming digs deeper and shows readers why everyone—from young girls who looked up to her to the First Lady of the United States—cared so much for this daring woman pilot. Chapters alternate between the days surrounding Earhart's fateful crash and her growth from child to trailblazer. The narrative shifts could have been maddening, for suspense reasons alone, but a rhythm is established and the two plotlines gracefully fold into the conclusion. The author also astutely reminds readers that Earhart had a public image to uphold and "took an active role in mythologizing her own life," so even excerpts from Earhart's published works can never be completely trusted. Handwritten notes, photos, maps and inquisitive sidebars (What did Earhart eat during flight? Tomato juice and chocolate) complete this impeccably researched, appealing package. A stunning look at an equally stunning lady. (bibliography, Internet resources, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)
(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
Starred review from March 1, 2011
Gr 4-7-Ho-hum history? Not in Fleming's apt hands. What could be a dry recitation of facts and dates is instead a gripping and suspenseful thriller. Even though readers likely know the end of the story, Fleming makes this book difficult to put down by moving between several accounts of Earhart's disappearance and her chronological life story. Quotes from primary sources are woven so seamlessly throughout that it seems as though the individuals involved are telling the story. The Art Deco-inspired book design and excellent black-and-white photographs help to transport readers back in time. Fleming has made a phenomenal woman accessible to a new generation of readers; she unapologetically shows Earhart as a real person and dispels the mythology surrounding her. Exploring more than just her famous flights, she introduces Earhart's other pursuits. Being a pilot in the early 20th century was prohibitively expensive and Earhart had to be a savvy businesswoman willing to try anything and everything to earn enough money to stay in the sky. With G.P. Putnam, a proficient publicist behind her, she not only influenced the future of popular culture, but also forged a path of opportunity for women to follow. Fame is a business, and Earhart and Putnam worked steadily to achieve it; the legend of Amelia Earhart is a testament to their hard work. This book is splendid. Hand it to everyone.-Heather Acerro, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 1, 2010 Grades 4-7 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 narrativesstraightforward biographical chapters alternating with a chilling recounting of Earharts final flight and the search that followedFleming 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 Earharts 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)
Starred review from March 1, 2011 The book's title references newspaper headlines run on July 3, 1937, one day after Earhart lost radio contact with the coast guard ship Itasca. Fleming begins her gripping narrative aboard that ship, which was helping guide Amelia to tiny Howland Island for refueling. After a cliffhanger chapter-ender -- "in the radio room...the other crew members sat listening to the mournful sound of that static.' Where, they wondered, was Amelia Earhart?" -- the text backs up to explore Amelia's early life. Fleming has mined the wealth of Earhart research to present reader-friendly details, from baby Amelia's first photo to her 19067 report card to a humorous anecdote (in Amelia's own words) about her dog, James Ferocious. Iconic images and stories about the flier are also included -- and sometimes deconstructed -- as Fleming describes the behind-the-scenes publicity machine that was working hard to keep Amelia in the spotlight. Interspersed with the chronological main text are thought-provoking short chapters about civilians who claimed to have picked up Earhart's mayday calls. Fleming also periodically cycles back to the Itasca's frantic efforts at communication and the U.S. Navy's failed search-and-rescue operations -- reminders to readers about the desperate immediacy of the situation as it was unfolding. The book's structure and scope, along with the story's inherent drama, provide a taut, cinematic backdrop for the history of Earhart's doomed flight. Appended are a bibliography, a list of websites, source notes, and an index. elissa gershowitz
(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
"Fleming cleverly structures this biography to give the tale of tragedy a fresh and dreadful impact...As a result, this offers not only a provocative introduction to Earhart but also compelling glimpse of what it was like to watch her disappear from the world."
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