Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure
Exciting tale of the first woman to drive across America.
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure tells the story of the first woman to hit the open trail and drive across the United States in 1909. It's an enjoyable true tale of someone finding her own place in history. The story also provides a mini-geography lesson, as the car chugs through farmland, cities, flatlands, and mountains.
Community Reviews
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Talk about conquering the open road! Alice Ramsey did that and then some on her 59-day trek across the country in 1909. This colorfully illustrated biography lets readers watch Alice's journey -- and experience every pitfall and mud hole on that highway into history. Ramsey drove out of New York City and onto the pages of history when she fulfilled her goal of being the first woman to drive across America. But the trip in that old Maxwell touring car wasn't an easy one. Despite the bumpy wagon trails, hailstorms, floods, and the stops to allow pigs to cross, Alice saw the trip as an adventure, and fell in love with her country as viewed from a car with a top speed of 42 miles an hour.
Is It Any Good?
Author Don Brown deftly details the hardships of Alice Ramsey and her companions as she became the first woman to drive across the United States in 1909. Can a drive in a vehicle that tops out at 42 miles per hour be considered an adventure in our hurry-up society? Yes!
Brown's watercolors -- some full-page, others dotted around the text -- help the story move more quickly than Alice's Maxwell touring car did. Particularly clever are the dark pages with white text explaining how Alice had to drive at night through the hot desert.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Ramsey's achievement in the context of its time. Why was what she did so notable? They also can talk about other famous female firsts and what made those achievements so important.
Book Details
- Author: Don Brown
- Illustrator: Don Brown
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Cars and Trucks, Great Girl Role Models, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Children's Books
- Publication date: September 1, 1997
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 7
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: November 8, 2018
Our Editors Recommend
-
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
Excellent vocab builder is also big wacky fun.
-
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, Book 1
Inspiring, kid-friendly tales of extraordinary women.
-
All the Way to Havana
Celebration of Cuban family and ingenuity has gorgeous art.
For kids who love cars
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate