Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Shelton

K-Gr 2—Betty Skelton was a crackerjack, a rip-roaring, daredevil who refused to fit into a neat, socially acceptable box. Born in 1926, she was fascinated by airplanes and flew one (albeit illegally) at age 12. Soon she was setting all kinds of records, flying stunts, and reaching new heights, literally. After airplanes, she moved on to race cars and speedboats, and then was recruited by NASA to train with the Mercury 7 astronauts. While never permitted to go into space, her life was a series of adventures, and she helped change the way the world viewed women and their capabilities. Susie Berneis reads Meghan McCarthy's picture book (S. & S., 2013) clearly and with expression, as the author/illustrator's bright, googly-eyed pictures are scanned, with some additional animation. This is a nice introduction to a woman who should be better known, and it would be an excellent choice for Women's History Month.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA