Last week while doing my weekly shopping, I was thinking about how tired I am growing of reading the same books about brightly-colored fish and about rabbits comparing their love for one another. Those books absolutely have their places, and are wonderful, but I read to my daughter at least a dozen times a day, and when there are only eight books... not so much fun for Mama.
Lo and behold, I saw Brad Meltzer's I am Amelia Earhart from his "Ordinary People Change the World" series (the only other book in this series so far is on Abraham Lincoln, if I'm not mistaken). Immediately, I liked the idea: a woman who ignored society's arbitrary expectations and did what made her happy. A woman whose story changed history for the better, and showed the world what women are capable of when they aren't afraid to upset the norm.
The story begins with a cute anecdote about the childhood antics which taught Amelia her love of 'flying,' and goes on to describe her first time in an airplane and how she learned to fly for herself. There are also child-friendly descriptions of the records she broke ("Then I broke an altitude record, which is just a fancy-schmancy way of saying I went higher than anyone else").
The first time I read the conclusion, with its encouraging lesson never to give up on your dream just because someone else says you can't achieve it, I actually wept with gratitude. I felt so grateful a book had been written for young girls, like my daughter, who are still born into a world where they're seen as less valuable than men, even if they achieve the exact same feats and overcome identical adversity. I am so glad there is a book for my little girl about a historical figure who "knew no bounds," and lived her dream. Look out below for too many links, because I want to be sure proper credit is given to the author and the illustrator.
We love this new addition to our ever-growing library, and the illustrations are so charming.
What books in your At-Home Children's Library are your favorites?
Those of you with older children, what book are you happiest to hear your child request at storytime?
Those of you with older children, what book are you happiest to hear your child request at storytime?
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