iographies have always been alive and well in the field of youth literature, but the

past two years have seen some outstanding examples in the genre. Here is the
best biography for juvenile readers that I have read in a long time.

HHH

One of the great unsolved mysteries of modern times is the focus of author
Candace Fleming's newest book, "Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of
Amelia Earhart."

Told in alternating chapters, Fleming pairs the story of Earhart's early life and her
rise as America's premier aviator during the 1930s with a nail-biting, edge-of-your-
seat account of the efforts to maintain radio contact with her and navigator Fred
Noonan during the last hours of their fateful flight in July 1937 and the futile
attempts at their rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy.

Raised in a family of respectable means in the Midwest, Earhart and her younger
sister, Muriel, saw their comfortable lifestyle disintegrate when their father lost his
cushy position with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad because of his
addiction to alcohol. (The family at one time had a private railroad car and chef.)

As a young woman, Earhart yearned for a life beyond what was then the norm for
women, marriage and motherhood. She kept a scrapbook filled with clippings of
women who had exciting, unusual careers.

While working as a nurse's aide in Canada during World War I, Earhart watched
the air corps planes perform takeoffs and landings and felt "(the) first urge to fly."
Her first flying lessons enthralled her with the freedom of the air. As she logged
hours in the air and her skill as a pilot increased, Earhart purchased several
planes, each bigger and better than its predecessor.

When "Lucky Lindy" (Charles Lindbergh) flew solo nonstop across the North
Atlantic in 1927, the race was on for aviators to attempt new aerial feats, try new
routes and gain fame and fortune.

That meant Earhart, too, as she was now an accomplished pilot. In 1928, five
women tried to repeat Lindbergh's famous flight — some with disastrous results.

Earhart become the first woman to fly nonstop over the Atlantic — just not solo.
The public was squeamish about a woman flying that distance alone. About this
time George Putnam, a successful publisher, became Earhart's promoter and
arranged publicity tours and photo shoots and helped plan the flight across the
Atlantic.

Earhart would captain the flight, meaning she made the decisions, but Bill Stultz
was to pilot the plane, and Lou Gordon was hired to be the mechanic.

Despite adverse weather, Earhart and her crew reached Burry Port, Wales, in
"twenty hours and forty minutes" and with less than one hour's fuel.

Earhart was now uber-famous and the darling of America. Putnam also began a
campaign of his own to woo and wed Earhart, which he did, but only after several
years and several marriage proposals.

Earhart and Putnam became friends with many of America's movers and shakers
of the time, including President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor.

A charming account in Fleming's book tells of Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt's

flight over Washington, D.C., one night after a White House dinner.

Earhart and Putnam's friendship with the Roosevelts would have an impact during
her preflight plans in 1936.
One "prize" remained for Earhart: a round-the-world flight. No woman had
achieved that. Using Putnam's considerable wealth, Earhart and her husband
planned the 27,000-mile journey.

Funds were secured for a special plane designed for longer flights. A Lockheed
Electra was purchased for about $80,000 (about $1 million in today's money,
according to Fleming).

Earhart wrote that she could "write poetry about that ship."

Permission had to be secured for Earhart "to fly over or land in every country along
her route." Gasoline and oil would be needed at more than 30 points along the
route, not to mention the stops where the plane could be overhauled before
continuing on.

Here is where President Roosevelt entered the picture, agreeing to "do what we
can" to expedite such matters.

The original flight plan was for Earhart and her crew (Harry Manning, navigator,
and Noonan, a pilot and navigator who had experience with celestial navigation) to
fly east to west around the equator. However, less than three days into the journey,
an accident during takeoff heavily damaged the plane.

The delay cost them several months' time and Manning, who had to return to his
regular job. It also meant that the flight plan would have to be altered due to
changing weather patterns (storms and winds).

They would now have to fly west to east.

However, this new voyage proved glorious — the sights, the adventures.

Everything went smoothly until early July 1937. Earhart is quoted as saying, "My
Electra now rests on the edge of the Pacific ... somewhere beyond the horizon lies
home and California ... 7,000 miles to go."
And so, Earhart and Noonan took off from Lae, New Guinea, for a tiny speck of an
island called Howland.

The account of those last few hours of the flight is filled with the tension and
hopelessness aboard the Coast Guard cutter Itasca as the crew (especially Chief
Radioman Leo Bellarts) strains to hear any radio contact from Earhart.

The hours pass in agony, as only static remains.

Carol Cariens is youth and teen collection specialist for the Evansville-
Vanderburgh Public Library. Contact her at 428-8000, ext. 1256, or by e-mail
at carolb@evpl.org. The opinions expressed in this column are personal.