"How Ruth Elder, film actress, pilot and activist, attempted to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic." --

Folks say that when Sam Patch was born, he jumped right into his mother's arms. That was just the beginning! As a young boy working at a cotton mill, he jumped off the mill roof into the river below. When he was older, he jumped off cliffs and a ship, earning a reputation as a true daredevil. Then on October 17, 1829, Sam jumped into Niagara Falls! News of his death-defying leaps swept the nation-and Sam Patch jumped right into American legend.

Introduces inspiring women whose passions for exploration made them push the boundaries, including Nellie Cashman, Annie Smith Peck, and Delia Julia Denning Akeley.

Illustrations and brief text present all kinds of libraries, from bookmobiles and home libraries to the New York Public Library and the Library of Congress.