Fearless: The Story of Racing Legend Louise Smith Hardcover – October 14, 2010

This book is a lot of fun. The illustrations are great and the story is engaging. It's a great historical narrative to which a girl growing up can relate. My three-year-old loves it!

Great book for little girls who want to do "Traditionally" boy things. My MIL is related to Ms. Smith, so that was a bonus too!

This was an enjoyable read, filled with an empathetic, feisty character, and little-known information. A great gift book for a young girl or boy interested in auto racing.

The illustrations in this children's book on a true story of an amazing woman are so beautiful that each page could be a framed piece of art.

Great girls book for younger ages.

LOVE this story, and the illustrations are beautiful!

Rosenstock is a "go-to" author for biographical stories about inspiring people. Be sure to read the intro (just before the first page of text) where Rosenstock defines "legacy" and includes a quote from Louise Smith about giving racing her all despite setbacks. Reading the intro and the quote (even projecting the quote) would make for a strong intro to one of the main ideas in this text. In addition, the author's note at the back of the book about Louise Smith could make for additional conversation--ask students to read with a partner or independently (4th grade and up) and discuss and write in response. There's also an author's note "thanks to" about her research which included numerous interviews. This note can launch research writing--which includes not just reading texts, but also interviewing experts and so forth. Rosenstock's book is "based on" her understanding of primary sources. Students could write historical stories "based on" their interpretation of primary sources.Lots of potential with this one. Rosenstock has written several other biographical stories "based on" her interpretation of primary sources. Her work is worthy of an author study. This book would pair well with others about strong women like Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone.

Louise longingly looked over the fence watching the boys play baseball. Way back when girls simply were not allowed to do all the things that boys did, but she didn't really care what anyone said. As a matter of fact, "Most of the time, she did exactly as she pleased." When she was seven she found herself behind the wheel of her father's car. Her eyes were bright and she was grinning from ear to ear as she took off down the road "and left those boys in the dust!" Vrooom! Vrooom! Louise was just Louise and when she smashed into the chicken coop sending hens flying, she still continued to laugh and smile. One of the boys scratched his head wondering about her.When Louise grew up she did many of the same things that other girls did, but never seemed satisfied. She tried her hand at many jobs from working as a nurse to being a beautician, but fast cars continued to be a draw. In the dark of night the only things that lit up the sky were a waning moon, the headlights of her black sedan, and her smile as she raced through the night. One day a man named "Big Bill" came to town. Young boys clustered around him as he showed them a poster of a racing car, but he wasn't looking for boys or men, he was looking for someone very different . . . he was "looking for a girl who could drive in a race as a gimmick, a joke." Louise was definitely up to the job, but no one reckoned that she would become so serious about racing. Racing cars was a tough, competitive sport, but would she be able to be good enough to race against seasoned veterans?This is an amazing story about Louise Smith, a "fearless" race car driver. I enjoyed reading about Louise because she was a spirited woman who didn't ever back away from her dream of becoming a racecar driver despite the prejudice of the 1940s and 1950s. I've read about Daytona history in books for this age group, but none featured Louise. The Daytona she raced in was appropriately depicted as having been held on the beach. The stunning artwork by Scott Dawson meshed perfectly with the tale and had a nice vintage aura about it. Louise's indomitable spirit and personality ooze from these pages, pages that both boys and girls will pore over. This book, a first picture book attempt by both the author and illustrator, is definitely worth adding to one's collection. In the back of the book is a small cameo picture of Louise and a brief, but more detailed look at Louise's racing career.