Annie Oakley

July 1, 2014
Grades 2-4 Building on previous titles about figures from American folklore, from Brer Rabbit to Pecos Bill, these additions to the series describe people from American history whose stories have taken on legendary status. In the time-honored fashion of biographies, the authors follow their subjects from childhood, highlighting episodes contributing to their fame, while a concluding page explains how much of the story might be true. The design is attractive and appropriate. The facts of Annie Oakley's lifeher astounding marksmanship, competition with her eventual husband, and friendship with Sitting Bullare presented accurately, and her story is appealing. Both texts and back matter would have benefited from more careful editing, and the straightforward narration and unattributed quotations throughout might lead a child to believing that they are reading pure nonfiction. As indicated by the Dewey numbers, these titles will be most effective as part of folklore collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)