Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan; Illustrated by Brian Selznick
	List Price:   $6.99 Unit Price:   $5.59 You Save:   $1.40 (20%) ISBN-10:   0439087961 ISBN-13:   9780439087964 Publisher:   Scholastic Inc; Scholastic Paperbacks Edition:   illustrated Category:   Middle School Pub. Date:   June 2007 Pages:   144 Format:   Paperback; Mass Market paperback Ages:   8 to 12 Grades:   3 to 7
Subjects
CHILDREN'S FICTION
Description/Notes
This fascinating fictionalized biography tells the story of Charlotte Parkhurst, the first woman to vote in the state of California. A young orphan, Charlotte soon learns that life in the 1860s is easier for men than for women, so she cuts her hair, dresses as a boy, and sets out to pursue her dream of driving a stagecoach. Text copyright 2004 Lectorum Publications, Inc. By the age of 12, Charlotte Parkhurst knows the world of the 1860s holds more opportunities for boys than girls. So she cuts off her hair, dons boy's clothing and begins a new life that gives her many privileges, including the right to vote. Finalist for the 1999-2000 California Young Reader Medal. 'A skillful execution of a fascinating historical tale.'--'Publishers Weekly.' She had the Courage to Follow her Dreams... Charlotte Parkhurst was raised in an orphanage for boys, which suited her just fine. She didn't like playing with dolls, she could hold her own in a fight, and she loved to work in the stable. Charlotte had a special way with horses and wanted to spend her life training and riding them on a ranch of her own. The problem was, as a girl in the mid-1800s, Charlotte was expected to live a much different life - one without the freedoms she dreamed of. But Charlotte was smart and determined, and she figured out a way to live her life the way she wanted. Charlotte became an expert horse rider, a legendary stagecoach driver, and the first woman ever to vote. And she did these things at a time when they were outlawed for women. How? With a plan so clever and so secret - almost no one figured it out. Pam Munoz Ryan was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley and has always been fascinated by California's rich history. She has written several picture books, including A Pinky Is A Baby Mouse, an American Bestseller Pick of the Lists; and California, Here We Come. Riding Freedom is her first novel. A former teacher and an avid speaker on writing and literacy, she lives in Leucadi, California, with her family.