Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton

by Meghan McCarthy Narrated by Susie Berneis

Overview

In the 1930s most girls were happy playing with dolls. But one girl, Betty Skelton, liked playing with airplanes, watching them fly around outside, and even flying airplanes herself! She lived for an adventure - in the air, the water, and on land - and nothing could stop her, especially not being a girl. When Betty Skelton was young there weren't many women flying airplanes or racing cars, but she wouldn't let that stop her. She was always ready to take on a challenge, and she loved to have fun. Betty rode motorcycles, raced cars, jumped out of planes, and flew jets, helicopters, gliders, and blimps. And by the time she was an adult, Betty was known in the press as the 'First Lady of Firsts!'

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Sarah Harrison Smith

McCarthy's googly-eyed portraits make Skelton's story amusing as well as inspiring.

Publishers Weekly

McCarthy has made a career out of picture-book biographies of unexpected subjects, and this thoroughly inspiring portrait of Betty June Skelton (1926–2011) reveals a woman who embodies a “need for speed.” Direct quotations from Skelton fill her story with personality. She was obsessed with flying from an early age, and she made the newspapers for a solo flight on her 16th birthday—never mind that her father had already plopped her into a cockpit four years earlier. “It wasn’t quite legal then so I couldn’t tell anybody,” she recalled. Skelton went on to break records on land, sea, and air, and she even had a shot at becoming the first woman in space. In McCarthy’s succinct prose and wide-eyed acrylic cartooning, Skelton comes through as a woman eager to break barriers and try anything. Ages 4–8. (June)

From the Publisher

DAREDEVIL, • starred review

Ever hear of Betty Skelton? Most people haven’t, yet this woman was a whirling daredevil who liked to go fast and broke records in aviation and auto racing.

In the 1930s, most girls played with dolls, but not Betty: She was obsessed with airplanes, and at age 16, she soloed. She wanted to be a commercial pilot and fly in the Navy, but she was laughed at. So she became a stunt pilot with her dog, Little Tinker, by her side and no shoes on her feet. In 1951 she broke an altitude record. Then she traded planes for race cars and drove into a new career, breaking the women’s record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a speed of 315.74 mph. those challenges weren’t enough for Betty, and she went on to driving a stunt boat. What was next? She trained to be an astronaut, but NASA wasn’t ready to send a female into space. Even so, Betty had “proven that women could do it as well as men.” The acrylic cartoon illustrations play up Betty’s spunk and derring-do with McCarthy’s trademark googly eyed expressions. Her achievements are stated in the straightforward narrative, but the author allows readers to tap into her personality through use of quotes: When Betty flew higher than Mount Everest, she said: “My feet darn near froze to death.”

McCarthy has spun an adventurous story about this little-known woman, highlighting her groundbreaking triumphs with respectful whimsy. (“Fun Facts,” additional quotes, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

School Library Journal - Audio

02/01/2015
Gr 1–4—Betty Skelton grew up in the 1930s during a time when airplanes were still very new—and very exciting. She was intrigued by flight from an early age and lived for adventure. When Betty set a goal, such as learning to fly, she didn't let anything slow her down—especially not the idea that girls shouldn't fly airplanes. This thrilling biography highlights Betty's accomplishments not only in the air, but on the racetrack, in the water, and training with NASA's Mercury 7 astronauts. Susie Berneis's spirited narration perfectly complements Betty's adventurous story. As she describes Betty's many accomplishments, the roar of engines and the whirr of propellers echo in the background. VERDICT Students will be amazed by all that Betty did, and this story of a lesser-known aviation and auto-racing pioneer will be a wonderful addition to biography collections.—Anne Bozievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA

JANUARY 2015 - AudioFile

Need for speed” is the perfect expression to describe Betty Skelton, and narrator Susie Berneis—as she speeds from one Skelton escapade to the next. Growing up in the 1930s in Pensacola, Florida, Skelton watched naval planes fly overhead. By the age of 12, she was flying by herself (illegally), and by 16 she had her pilot’s license. Her little known career took her from stunt flying to setting a record for high-altitude flying in 1951. She went on to race-car driving on the Bonneville Salt Flats, became the first female boat jumper, and finally trained with the Mercury 7 astronauts. Berneis is firm and precise in her narration, and one can’t help but think that this is just the way Betty Skelton might have spoken. The production is punctuated with sound effects and occasional music. A.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Ever hear of Betty Skelton? Most people haven't, yet this woman was a whirling daredevil who liked to go fast and broke records in aviation and auto racing. In the 1930s, most girls played with dolls, but not Betty: She was obsessed with airplanes, and at age 16, she soloed. She wanted to be a commercial pilot and fly in the Navy, but she was laughed at. So she became a stunt pilot with her dog, Little Tinker, by her side and no shoes on her feet. In 1951 she broke an altitude record. Then she traded planes for race cars and drove into a new career, breaking the women's record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a speed of 315.74 mph. Those challenges weren't enough for Betty, and she went on to driving a stunt boat. What was next? She trained to be an astronaut, but NASA wasn't ready to send a female into space. Even so, Betty had "proven that women could do it as well as men." The acrylic cartoon illustrations play up Betty's spunk and derring-do with McCarthy's trademark googly eyed expressions. Her achievements are stated in the straightforward narrative, but the author allows readers to tap into her personality through use of quotes: When Betty flew higher than Mount Everest, she said: "My feet darn near froze to death." McCarthy has spun an adventurous story about this little-known woman, highlighting her groundbreaking triumphs with respectful whimsy. ("Fun Facts," additional quotes, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175793315
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	10/28/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	Up to 4 Years

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