HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: Little Sure Shot: The Story of Annie Oakley
Author: Stephanie Spinner
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books, 1993
ISBN-13: 9780679834328
ISBN-10: 067983432X
Language level: 2 (a common euphemism)
Reading level: Grades 2-3
Rating: 4 stars (GOOD)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
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Spinner, Stephanie. Little Sure Shot: The Story of Annie Oakley (published in 1993 by Random House Inc., New York City, NY). Phoebe Ann Moses was born in 1860 near Greenville, OH, not far from Dayton where we used to live. This poor young farm girl, whose father died when she was young, learned how to use his gun to kill food for her family and hunt animals to sell for money. Later, she became the famous sharpshooter known the world over as Annie Oakley and traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. By the way, she chose the name “Oakley” based on the time that she was living near Cincinnati, OH, with her older sister and won her first shooting match against Frank Butler, who later became her husband, in the then suburb of Oakley. My great-aunt lived in the Oakley section of Cincinnati for many years. This “Step Into Reading” book for level 3 is a biography of her for young readers, although the School Library Journal says, “A fast-paced account that will keep readers turning the pages-just be sure they know that it’s fictionalized.” The word “heck” is used, rather prominently at one point, and the author seems to slip in a little bit of feminism at the end, but otherwise it is quite enjoyable to read about Annie’s exploits.
WOW!!!!