THE FASTEST GIRL ON EARTH!

A sportswoman who was unstoppable.

Born in 1946 and Deaf from age 2, Kitty O’Neil was an active child from the get-go and went on to become a world-record breaker (holder of the women’s land-speed record and fastest quarter mile in auto history, among others), a stunt performer featured in movies and television, and an athlete who succeeded in a wide array of sports, including boat racing, diving, waterskiing, karate, cycling, skating, and horseback riding. How did she do it? From childhood, she wanted to be “the fastest girl on Earth,” and she continually focused on her goals and practiced while thriving on the breathtaking exhilaration of speed. Though at times a bit unwieldy, the illustrations of the determined woman in action overall match the enthusiasm of the animated, appealing, and accessible text. A book with a Deaf hero that doesn’t focus on Deafness and a tale of a feminist icon that doesn’t focus on sex, this selection presents O’Neil’s achievements without context; the challenges O’Neil presumably faced as a Deaf and female athlete go unmentioned. Readers learn in the aftermatter that O'Neil was also of Cherokee descent, an otherwise unexplored aspect of her identity. In making this decision, the author chose to focus on O’Neil’s accomplishments, which are astounding on their own. While the absence of contextual information is a pity, what’s here is bound to engage and excite readers and may inspire them to discover more about this unique, driven athlete and her love of speed. (This book was reviewed digitally.) (Editor's note: This review has been updated to clarify the subject's Native identity.)

An energetic portrayal of O’Neil’s accomplishments that excludes historical and social background.