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Women Daredevils
Annie Edson Taylor went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Mabel Stark wrestled with tigers. Sonora Webster Carver plummeted forty feet on horseback into a tank of water. These and the eleven other women profiled in this book performed between 1880 and 1929, when females were expected to stay home and raise families, not entertain crowds with acts of derring-do. Their bravado...more
Hardcover, 48 pages
Published
January 24th 2008
by Dutton Juvenile
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I had quite a bit of trouble appreciating the totality of the book. The topic is fun. But, there is an over-emphasis throughout the book on just how incredibly scandalous these daredevils were that it becomes really heavy-handed. I think I would have preferred to just read about their daring deeds and admire their courage and be reminded occasionally of their ahead-of-their-time personalities.
p. 9: The "example of how scandalous" it was for woman cannonball was that an...more
p. 9: The "example of how scandalous" it was for woman cannonball was that an...more
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Cummins highlights ten women who performed a variety of dangerous stunts during the late 1800s and early 1900s. These women performed stunts for a number of reasons, with earning a living being one of the top ones. Stunts include going over Niagra Falls in a barrel, taming tigers, plane stunts, bareback circus riding stunts, and more. Perhaps the most amazing story included is that of Sonora Carver who performed high-diving on horseback from great heights into relatively shallow pools. Needless ...more
Another book plucked from the plum pile of my school librarian's new book stash, Women Daredevils is hard to put down. The odd but irresistible tales of women not afraid to make a splash during a time that discouraged them. Who was the first person to go down Niagara Falls in a barrel (and survive?) A woman. Who was brave enough to have a high-diving horse show and take the heart pounding plunge? A woman. These tales and more await the reader looking for a strange trip back in time. I plan to pi...more
If there's one thing I know about human beings it is this: They're much more likely to pay attention to you if they think you're about to get hurt. That's sort of the basis behind everything from the success of Harry Houdini to the extreme sports you run across on daytime TV. Basically, if someone thinks that you are mere moments from an untimely demise, they are MUCH more inclined to give you their money. Men have been doing stuff along those lines for years, but less lauded in today's Fear Fac...more
A fun non-fiction read that will appeal to boys as well as girls. While these women are not widely known, they have lack of fear in common. Individual chapters work well as read-alouds. Cummins' chatty writing style is perfect for the topic. Notes and a timeline putting the women into context with other (better known) women achievers are a nice touch. Harness' illustrations are action-packed, just like these ladies' lives.
Sequoyah nominee: 2010-2011 (Children's)
Reading Counts Reading Level: 11.0 or 11.4 (attempting to resolve discrepancy)
Lexile: NC1140
Booklist Age Recommendation: Grades 3-6
*Good for students with high reading levels
*Book has an extremely high lexile score for the interest level
Reading Counts Reading Level: 11.0 or 11.4 (attempting to resolve discrepancy)
Lexile: NC1140
Booklist Age Recommendation: Grades 3-6
*Good for students with high reading levels
*Book has an extremely high lexile score for the interest level
This is a quick read that can be handed to kids who need a non-fiction book for a report. I think it will interest boys as well as girls if you can get them past the title.
This interesting and informative book recalls the lives of ten of history's most spunky women. They were daredevils, putting on death-defying feats for the entertainment of others (and for their own thrills... or for fame and fortune in some cases). The women in this book were shot out of cannons, went over Niagara Falls in a barrel, danced the Charleston on the wings of an airplane, drove automobiles in loop-the-loops, or rode horses diving off platforms into a pool of water. And so much more. ...more
I had never heard of most of these women before, so it was especially interesting for me. I liked how the author pointed out that not only did the women's feats draw crowds, but their skimpy costumes also drew crowds and criticism. All of the women in this book performed around the turn of the century, when showing even an ankle was scandalous. I'll bet the men liked it! I also liked the way the author talked at the end of the book about how she did the research on these people. Overall, an ...more
Interesting book about early women daredevils (especially the chapter on the girl who "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken" is based on)...
great book about women in history.. and boys will like it too!
What a fun book to read!
Judy
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