Who Was Nellie Bly?

Who Was Nellie Bly?

Margaret Gurevich

Penguin Workshop, 2020 107 pages

Grades 2-5

Non-Fiction/Biography

Who Was series

Few women have done for journalism what trailblazer Nellie Bly accomplished over one-hundred years ago. One of the fall releases in the uber-popular "Who Was" series, Gurevich explores the life of this larger-than-life legend. Bly's early days are traced, exposing readers to the limits set on women in the 1800's, and her hard-scrabble to enter the world of journalism. Next we see some of Bly's most famous escapades, including her solo, trip around the world, voluntary incarceration in a mental hospital, and the first female reporter to cover WWI. Bly's marriage, business ventures, and eventual death are also explored. Sidebars flesh-out historical figures and features of the time period relevant to the story. Characteristic cartoon illustrations grace every 2-page spread. A timeline of Bly's life, a timeline of the world during this time period, and a bibliography round out the volume.

I love the "Who Was" series. It is consistently readable, yet informational. Kids are attracted by the covers with the big heads and end up learning, all while being entertained. This installment is no exception to the read-ability of the series. I am only surprised that it took the publisher this long to explore this interesting ground-breaker. I have long been fascinated by Nellie Bly and because of her (and Curious George) have always wanted a monkey pet. She seems like such a brave and dashing figure and certainly inspirational for young women (and men) everywhere. Perfect for school use, as well as recreational reading this selection is sure to fire the inner-feminist in everyone. I truly love the subject, but what encouraged me to read this series installment is the author, who is local to Fair Lawn and a devoted library patron. We are blessed in this town to have many talented residents and Margaret is one of my favorites. She is on-track to also write an installment on David Bowie (another one of my favorites), which I can't wait to crack into. A favorite historical figure, featured in a favorite series, penned by a favorite author. Win! Win! Win!