Review | Nellie Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids

Mighty Muckrakers from the Golden Age to Today, with 21 Activities

An interactive activity book that details the muckraking era

Nellie Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids brings to light the evolving world of American journalism, from the late 1800s to today. Focusing on the bold, audacious investigative reporter Nellie Bly, one of the most famous women in the world in her day, the book presents journalism in a fun, inventive, and exciting way. Budding reporters learn how Bly, who so desired to work in the male-dominated world of reporting, willingly feigned her own insanity to be committed to a mental asylum so she could go undercover and write about it. Providing a comprehensive look at early social reform writers and reporters who helped transform journalism, the book also introduces young readers to four famous early American muckrakers—Jacob Riis, Ida Tarbell, Ida B. Wells, and Upton Sinclair—and concludes with a look at some of the modern era’s most exciting and accomplished journalists. Twenty-one creative activities encourage a new generation to carry on the muckraking tradition as kids learn how to make and keep a reporter’s notebook, write a letter to the editor, craft a “great ideas” box, and much more. Packed with compelling photos and interesting sidebars, Nelly Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids will get young readers excited about the world of journalism and especially about writing.

synopsis provided by Netgalley

Hott Review:

Nellie Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids is really cool!
What I liked: This isn’t a sit-down-and-read book. Instead, Nellie Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids is a great activity and reference book. As you read each set of pages you’ll see the amazing detail about Nellie Bly set alongside fun activities to get everyone learning and working on their own articles.
For me, the absolute best part of this was the pictures. I LOVE old pictures and they’re included here! I was able to drool to my heart’s content and imagine just how Nellie – and so many other amazing writers – lived and the amazing places she went.
What I didn’t like: The text seemed SO long and detailed while I was reading, luckily it was broken up into short segments.

More…

Author:	Ellen Mahoney
Source:	Chicago Review Press via Netgalley
Grade:	B
Ages:	10+
This Counts for these Challenges:	2015 Let Me Count The Ways Reading Challenge, 2015 New Authors Reading Challenge, 2015 Women Challenge, Monthly Mix-up Mania, 2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

Author Bio:

Ellen Mahoney is the co-author of “Earthrise – My Adventures As an Apollo 14 Astronaut,” penned by Edgar Mitchell and published by Chicago Review Press. As a journalist and author, Ellen’s focus is on writing nonfiction for young readers and she is the author of the upcoming book, “Nellie Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids,” also published by Chicago Review Press. Ellen holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Human Development from Syracuse University and a Master of Science in Education from USC. In addition, she teaches in the Department of Journalism & Technical Communication at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and has taught writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and through the Lifelong Learning program with the Boulder Valley School District. She worked as a staff writer/Imagineer for the Walt Disney Company and has produced radio pieces for the BBC “Science in Action” show, KGNU Community Radio, and KRCC (Radio Colorado College). As co-author of “Earthrise,” Ellen found it a joy to get to know Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, and an honor to help him tell his extraordinary and truly one-of-a-kind story. As the lunar module pilot for the Apollo 14 Moon mission in 1971, Edgar and Alan Shepard conducted the longest moonwalk of the twelve courageous Apollo astronauts who set foot on the Moon and returned home to share their amazing space explorations with us all.

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Gina ~ Hott Books

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