A Glorious Story: MOTORCYCLE QUEEN: The Life of Bessie Stringfield

 I've been eyeball deep among stacks of nonfiction for elementary and middle grade readers to help choose finalists for those categories for this year's CYBILS AWARDS. The crop of nominees is outstanding. I've been  reading, reflecting, and sharing. In the case of this picture book, the facts are phenomenal, and back matter clarifies even more about this remarkable girl/woman who stayed true to who she knew she was and how she could make her life meaningful. I'm happy to pause from "judging"  to share this.

When it comes to nonfiction picture books, especially biography, conveying a sense of the spirit and drive of the central character is the engine of the story, right? No matter what their accomplishments, at the heart of any biography (but especially ones for young readers) is the importance of connection. In this case, readers of any age will connect with and be inspired by the life of Bessie Stringfield.

CREATIVE EDITIONS: 2024

Bessie's achievements  (even her NAME!) were new to me, but I'm so happy to have met her in MOTORCYCLE QUEEN: The Life of Bessie Stringfield, written by Janie Havemeyer and illustrated by Jean Claverie. Bessie's spirit and drive are captured in the first line of text:

"IF BESSIE DIDN'T RIDE, 

SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LIVE."

In this case, the earliest years of Bessie's life are skipped, in part because the author indicates that Bessie's accounts of those years varied, and  sources to verify were sketchy at best. 

That opening line, though, launches sixteen-year-old Bessie Stringfield onto her first and ever-faithful motorcycle, Scout. But Bessie rode as if she was born to, and she set out in search of dreams. Her adventure began in the south, in the early years of the twentieth century, when it wasn't safe for a girl on her own to be crossing the country, sleeping deep in the woods, scavenging for berries and such. That wasn't ladylike in the least. Girls were certainly not suited to this habit or passion, especially Black girls. But her choices suited Bessie just fine, and she sang the words to favorite  hymns to bolster her faith and confidence.

Very quickly this single-minded young woman developed stunts and tricks, she survived intentional accidents with larger vehicles, and earned her way through the world traveling with performing troupes. When Bessie rode she was FIERCE and FREE.

But she also needed to do something with value. When the Second World War broke out, she volunteered to serve as a motorcycle messenger between battle camps. Can you guess the response she got? "NO!" A girl can't do this kind of work. 

Just as Bessie had proven herself to a highway officer who tried to ticket her, she demonstrated her mastery of the motorbike to her military trainers and was issued a uniform and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Examples of her daring and essential deliveries during the war are breathtaking. After the war she retired to Florida and never stopped riding, right up until her death at 81 year old. 

Throughout every spread, illustrations capture that irrepressible spirit and energy at each challenge and stage of life, as seen on the cover.

It's clear that local folks knew of Bessie, and those who were entertained by her stunts and escapades loved her daring and skill. She is honored in the American Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Even so, Bessie Stringfield is relatively unknown but deserves a wider audience and admiration. This exuberant account of her determined, remarkable life is a wonderful way to celebrate someone who entertained, served, and never lost her love of life on the fly!

Quick Looks At Some Cybils Nominee Books!

 Nominations are now closed for the annual CYBILS AWARDS for 2024. Finalists will be announced on January 1, 2025, with winners announced on Valentine's Day. The groups I'm judging this fall are nonfiction for two groups: elementary readers and  middle grade readers. Among both sets of nominees (about 150 titles!) there are picture books across the ages. 

You can imagine that I'm pretty preoccupied these days with thoughtful reading of those books in the bags that I haul to and from the library. (Bless those folks!) For the next few weeks here I plan to share some short notes about terrific discoveries along the way. I've also written comprehensive reviews (and even interviews) for many of the nominees in posts during the past year. Sharing my reactions to them in prior or upcoming posts does not constitute indicators of where they stand in the judging process, but so many of the nominees deserve your attention.

For this post, I'm all in on some distinctly fun and interactive titles, ones that work as front-to-back reads but also as resources and reference books.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, 2024

I'm guessing LITTLE KIDS FIRST BIG BOOK OF HOW from National Geographic Kids, written by Jill Esbaum, will become a family favorite.

Combine the vibrant visuals of anything from National Geographic with a flurry of "how...?" questions that seem universal in any kids' world with the superb writing of author Jill Esbaum and you'll realize why this is a winner of a choice for loads of kids. Think holiday gifting or birthday gifting to surprise young readers with the book they never knew they wanted, but will love. Adults in their lives will also love the many simply-stated but perfectly clear explanations for things anyone at any age may have wondered about!
Table of contents, index, sidebar terminology explainers, and more informational features make this a terrific addition to home collections and also as gifts to classroom libraries and teachers as holidays near.
This is the latest in a series of related titles you'll want to check out if you enjoy this HOW topic!

Another book based on "HOW" is HOW DO METEOROLOGISTS PREDICT THE FUTURE: A Science Book About Meteorology, written by Lisa Spencer and illustrated by Srimalie Bassani.

FLOWERPOT BOOKS, 2024

This is an amazingly entertaining picture book for direct instruction. Generally, even with nonfiction books, authors are cautioned not to come off as "teaching" but this fully embraces instruction, from the title onward to the back matter and even endpapers. The cartoon-style illustrations and occasional speech bubbles (always instructive, but with a light touch) lift what could have been overwhelming expository text into digestible segments that actually build understanding and engagement. Sidebars and labeled science diagrams lend to that understanding. 

Kids are seriously curious about weather and can devour this on their own, but the subject matter is often a part of classroom study, too. This is a resource that should not be missed (I would have loved to have it on my shelves while still in the classroom!).

It's one of the many nonfiction books for kids that adults will welcome as a source to answer a lifetime of their own questions about weather and forecasting.

Flowerpot Press, 2024

Finally, a quick note about a genuinely unique book, THE OBSERVOLOGIST: A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions, written and illustrated by Giselle Clarkson.

What an ideal and delightful book for anyone who watches and wonders about the world around us - the very small world around us. By framing the reader as a "giant" in such a perspective, readers realize quickly that this book invites/challenges them to take the time to observe AND to learn about the living things that so often go unnoticed.

Those 'Small Scientific Expeditions" can be as simple as turning over a rock or standing quietly near a puddle. The universal appeal of this book is that we;'ve all done these things, but not likely with the intention and planning and and safety notes and scientific guidelines;ines provided. All of these seemingly "spoil the excitement" elements are actually elevating the activities to a level of power and purpose and intention. Then author/illustrator provides images that are scientifically accurate and stunning while having a nearly comic appeal. You'll have to see it for yourself in order to recognize what I'm attempting to say. The images throughout are so very kid-friendly and yet the scholarly qualities expected of such a science topic are all there. If you've got a kid in your life who is buggy about bugs, this is the book for them!

Back soon with some other short notes about impressive titles from our nonfiction nominees!

UNITED AGAINST BOOK BANNING!

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UNITED AGAINST BOOK BANNING- OCTOBER 19, 2024

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Meet FLORINE STETTHEIMER... Artist Ahead of Her Time

Holiday House/NEAL PORTER BOOKS
2024

One artist ahead of her time was Florine Stettheimer, but then many artists are ahead of their times. I found, though, that this particular artist, previously unknown to me (despite my effort to be reasonably informed about artists of the twentieth century), was fascinating. A PARTY FOR FLORINE: FLORINE STETTHEIMER AND ME is the creation of another artist, author/illustrator Yevgenia Nayberg. 

The illustration style and the first person narrator are both an homage to Stettheimer and a reflection  of Nayberg's own artistic style. 

A short note in back reveals that even though an  accomplished and acclaimed artist such as she is, Nayberg found that Florine was a new experience and one she welcomed. 

In the text, a young girl sees a face, an image very much like herself, in a self-portrait by Stettheimer. The girl and the subject in the self-portrait were both artists, and the young observer commits to learning more. That storyline reveals Stettheimer's life story as shared within the remaining narration. 

Florine's life was one of means, one of intellectual pursuits, one surrounded by other remarkable women and intellectual discussions. When women were bound into corsets and equally so by social expectations and even demands, Florine had the luxury of expressing herself freely. She did so in her clothing choices and activities. Her art is expressionist in that there is realism in many elements and colors, but proportion, angle, position, and subject matter all reflect an almost dreamlike quality to her work. 

When I explored Nayberg's body of work, I detected many parallels in style, color, and perspective between their styles. That, too, must have been a bit of a startling recognition to the picture book creator. I particularly enjoyed learning in the author note that this unexpected introduction came to the artist as an adult, but the the story is well-crafted around the emotional journey of a young girl observer, who compares Florine's liberated, self-affirming life to her own young misery on gray rainy days and with nothing "exciting" happening to her. The line was never written but several of the girl's expressions called to mind a refrain any parent will recognize... "I'm bored!"

In fact, though, this narrator comes to realize her own agency, her ability to see the world around her through whatever lens invites creativity and joy and delight. Stettheimer proactively rejected the directives in her expensive art instructions from prestigious institutions and opted to interpret a recto-linear world with curves and tilts and graceful exaggeration. This is evident in examples you can view online. This recognition by the girl of her  own power removes the oppressive rainy filters and ignites joy. 

As much as this might feel like an adult-centric biography, the young narrator's emotional journey makes it well-suited to young readers, too. In fact, very young "artists" often ignore efforts to reproduce what they "see" on a page in favor of colorful, movement-infused, joyful art. Perhaps Florine's seemingly sophisticated talent was really her openness to expressing the world without rules, as children so often do. 

I urge you to take a look at this lovely new offering to meet Florine for yourselves. Please note that front and back endpapers reproduce the four pieces from her CATHEDRAL OF NEW YORK series, one she was working on until a few weeks before her death. The contagious joy they reveal invite you to join her at the party that was her life.