This book is dedicated to all the people who do not think they can achieve their dreams. Reach for the stars and skies.

Hi everyone, my name is Amelia Mary Earhart. It is so nice to meet you! I know we’re going to be great friends! I was born in Atchison, Kansas, on July 24, 1897. As a little girl, I had always wanted to do the “non-ladylike” things. The boys would tell me that I couldn’t play ball with them, play in the mud, or build forts! I always believed girls could do anything they set their minds to!

Me as a young girl.

I saw my first airplane when I was just ten years old. Ever since then, it had been my biggest dream to fly an airplane on my own. 

I was enrolled in a junior college when I decided to become a nurse aide for the wounded soldiers of World War I. During work, I met pilots and became even more intrigued with flying!

A portrait of myself as a nurse during World War I.

I experienced my first flight in 1920, when I was 23 years old, with Frank Hawks. I fell in love with it and was inspired to start taking flying lessons with the female aviator Neta Snook. 

My life changed forever in 1928, when I was selected as the first woman to be a passenger on Charles Lindbergh’s adventure across the Atlantic Ocean and we were a success! But my biggest success was yet to come…

A portrait of Amelia and her husband, George Putnam

On February 7th, 1931, I married the love of my life.  His name was George Putnam and he was quite charming. He actually proposed to me six times before I said “yes”.

On May 20th, 1932, I started my own adventure. I left Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, Canada and successfully landed my plane 15 hours later near Londonderry, Ireland. This achievement made me the first woman EVER (and the only other person besides Charles Lindbergh) to fly across the Atlantic nonstop!

I became an overnight media sensation! I was the first woman to pilot a nonstop trip across the Atlantic and I was tremendously proud. All I had ever wanted was to inspire girls and women around the world to know they can do anything they dream of. Before I knew it, I became the symbol for the achievements women could reach.