Overview
Despite the naysayers, Amelia Earhart was able to soar through the skies and accomplish many of her dreams. Young Amelia dreams of building her own roller coaster, learning to fly her own airplane, and even exploring the skies as one of the world's first female pilots. But girls in the early twentieth century don't do such things. When Amelia tells her family and friends of her plans, they only shake their heads and say, "You can't do that, Amelia!" But Amelia is not easily discouraged and eventually earns a place in American history as one of the world's first female pilots and one of the century's most acclaimed adventurers. Well researched and supplemented with biographical information, research notes, and additional sources, You Can't Do That, Amelia! will leave young readers inspired to follow their dreams.
Synopsis
Despite the naysayers, Amelia Earhart was able to soar through the skies and accomplish many of her dreams. Young Amelia dreams of building her own roller coaster, learning to fly her own airplane, and even exploring the skies as one of the world's first female pilots. But girls in the early twentieth century don't do such things. When Amelia tells her family and friends of her plans, they only shake their heads and say, "You can't do that, Amelia!" But Amelia is not easily discouraged and eventually earns a place in American history as one of the world's first female pilots and one of the century's most acclaimed adventurers. Well researched and supplemented with biographical information, research notes, and additional sources, You Can't Do That, Amelia! will leave young readers inspired to follow their dreams.Editorials
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2
In this short picture book about a few episodes in Amelia Earhart's life, readers can see that, even as a child, Earhart always dared to try the things she dreamed about. While growing up in Kansas, she imagined swooping down in a roller coaster from the shed rooftop to the backyard, and despite her cousins' skepticism ("You can't do that, Amelia!"), successfully built a track and cart out of scrap wood and roller-skate wheels. When she was older, she dreamed of flying her own plane and also accomplished this goal, though her family expressed their doubts. In 1929, when she vowed to complete the first Women's Air Derby, reporters laughed at her, but she came in third. Unfortunately, a book that starts out as a promising introduction to Earhart's life ends abruptly with her trans-Atlantic flight in 1932. Despite the author's in-depth research, the story is slight and feels unfinished. Most of the information is relegated to the five pages of background notes, which include a biographical summary, a time line, and sources for further reading. The main narrative does not cover the mystery surrounding the around-the-world flight that marks Earhart's place in history. Attractive because of the colorful pencil and watercolor artwork, yet disappointing for the lack of a substantial text.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA