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Reviews
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming, Jessica Hische
librarylisa614's review against another edition
4.0
I was reminded by a 39 Clues book that I wanted to read this book. Knowing very little about Amelia Earhart, I was fascinated and found her to be quite annoying! Unfortunately, my discussions of the book led to my husband forcing me to watch an episode of Star Trek about Amelia Earhart. Blech. Anyway, interesting book! Just don't discuss with a Trekkie!
sandraagee's review against another edition
4.0
A very well-constructed biography. I liked how the chapters alternated between accounts of Amelia's life and details from her disappearance. Candace Fleming has clearly done her research and gives a whole picture of Amelia's life, documenting her childhood, early adult career, introduction to flying, and her career as a pilot and speaker. I was fascinated with the effort it must have taken for Earhart to publicize herself and it was nice to learn a little more about this aspect of her flying career.
poachedeggs's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this was a really nicely presented, well written young adult account of Amelia Earhart's (famous female pilot - or aviatrix) life. The suspense surrounding her disappearance in the Pacific Ocean is wonderfully captured through the fragmented radio broadcasts Fleming highlights.
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the structure of this book. Beautifully designed, too.
shighley's review against another edition
5.0
In anticipation of meeting Ms. Fleming next week at AISLE Survive, and because we were on our way to Purdue (where my daughter and I both lived in Earhart Hall--just a few years apart), I decided to read this. Growing up, I think I read everything I could about Amelia. (Wasn't she even the topic of some SRA passages?) This book does a wonderful job of weaving a story from several sources. Although it was very thorough, it still encourages me to read more. I hope to visit the Earhart papers at Purdue soon. This will be an excellent volume to share with students and lead to rich discussion.
sharonskinner's review against another edition
4.0
Well researched and well written. I learned a lot about Amelia Earhart that I did not know. I particularly appreciated the weaving in of Earhart's early days and her disappearance and the efforts to find her.
choosejoytoday's review against another edition
5.0
So I kind of want to go read everything I can about Amelia Earhart and her disappearance now. I especially liked how Fleming dug around to get a portrait of the "true" Amelia and wasn't afraid to point out the negative personality traits of one of America's most beloved (and mysterious) women. There were points when I wanted to yell at the book "stop being so cocky Amelia," or "publicity stunt, much?!" but there's no changing the outcome of this story. I really wonder whether the mystery of her final hours will ever be unraveled.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Once again, I'm left wishing that I could give a book 4.5 stars.
Of course I've heard of Amelia Earhart (who hasn't?) but beyond her being the first female aviator to do a bunch of things and her getting lost, I didn't know much. Learning her backstory - growing up moving every few years, a period in which she lived with her grandmother, times of affluence and of poverty, and living with an alcoholic father - gave me a greater understanding of why she might have been so driven. The relationship she had (professionally and personally) with George Putnam, who helped finance and publicize her travels, didn't hurt.
It was also clear that she was a real daredevil, and didn't prepare terribly well. For example, early on she flew a plane without checking fuel levels! Her final voyage's ending might have been avoided had she learned to use the radio (apparently she had one hour's training because she was too busy to get more).
The design of the book will appeal to middle school readers: the story of the search for her plane (and her) is interspersed with the her story, and lots of photos and documents. More photos of the types of planes she flew would have been interesting, and a timeline helpful . It was also unclear why there wasn't more discussion of where she might have landed (just go online and there are many sites and stories about her bones being found, or possibly found). Additionally, one of the people who heard Amelia's final broadcasts might have gotten a latitude/longitude - why wasn't that explored further in the book as a final resting place? Hence my desire for a 4.5 rating.
ARC provided by publisher.
Of course I've heard of Amelia Earhart (who hasn't?) but beyond her being the first female aviator to do a bunch of things and her getting lost, I didn't know much. Learning her backstory - growing up moving every few years, a period in which she lived with her grandmother, times of affluence and of poverty, and living with an alcoholic father - gave me a greater understanding of why she might have been so driven. The relationship she had (professionally and personally) with George Putnam, who helped finance and publicize her travels, didn't hurt.
It was also clear that she was a real daredevil, and didn't prepare terribly well. For example, early on she flew a plane without checking fuel levels! Her final voyage's ending might have been avoided had she learned to use the radio (apparently she had one hour's training because she was too busy to get more).
The design of the book will appeal to middle school readers: the story of the search for her plane (and her) is interspersed with the her story, and lots of photos and documents. More photos of the types of planes she flew would have been interesting, and a timeline helpful . It was also unclear why there wasn't more discussion of where she might have landed (just go online and there are many sites and stories about her bones being found, or possibly found). Additionally, one of the people who heard Amelia's final broadcasts might have gotten a latitude/longitude - why wasn't that explored further in the book as a final resting place? Hence my desire for a 4.5 rating.
ARC provided by publisher.
sherming's review against another edition
I'm not too familiar with juvenile biographies, but this seemed like it might be both interesting and informative for younger readers. There are two intertwined story lines, starting with Amelia's disappearance, which is then replaced by a more fleshed out biography of Amelia's earlier years, using anecdotes to show her love of flying, her personal life, marriage of convenience, and quest for celebrity.
This book won the WPL best book for kids vote in 2011, though I would have voted for Dead End in Norvelt.
This book won the WPL best book for kids vote in 2011, though I would have voted for Dead End in Norvelt.
pwbalto's review against another edition
5.0
The story of Amelia's life is told in strong, well-paced chapters, but between each chapter we get the hour-by-hour account of her fatal flight and the subsequent rescue efforts. Author Candace Fleming has pieced together a great deal of research, and without speculating on the fate of Amelia and her navigator, allows us to imagine her voice desperately calling out over the radio in the empty Pacific.
Brief Lives: A list of biographies for children is on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/2012/03/biographies-for-children.html
Brief Lives: A list of biographies for children is on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/2012/03/biographies-for-children.html