Motor Girls by Sue Macy, foreword

by Danica Patrick

 

c.2017, National Geographic

$18.99/$24.99 Canada

 

96 pages

 

Three wheels were never going to cut it.

 

And two? Well, moving up from tricycle to bicycle was good, but still not enough. No, you’re practically counting the days until you get your driver’s license because you need speed, and in the new book Motor Girls by Sue Macy, you’ll see that you’re on the right road.

 

In 1895, Chicago newspaperman Herman Kohlsaat became agitated. He’d heard American inventors were hard at work on “motor-cars” and he thought it was time to see what those things could do, so he announced he was holding a race.

 

Eighty-three inventors registered their cars, but just two vehicles actually showed up on Thanksgiving Day that year. The drivers were all men, but they opened up a whole new world to every American.

 

Would an automobile be the same if it was called a “kinetic” or an “autopher?”

 

Those were the first fancy names that were kicked around for the horseless carriage before the word “automobile” was settled on. No matter what they called it, just 30 companies made them in 1899 – but a year later, the United States boasted more than twice that many auto manufacturers.

 

Women obviously noticed, though it was thought they were too delicate to handle an automobile, or that they couldn’t think straight and might become distracted on the road. But of course, women proved everybody wrong.

 

Not only did they learn how to drive, they learned how to change tires and work on their own cars’ engines in classes held specific for female mechanics. They even enhanced what was coming off the assembly lines: Lillian Sheridan became a top Ford saleswoman with an all-woman sales staff, while Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper.

 

Women broke records by driving cross-country (the first time of which took 60 days) and they became taxi drivers and ambulance drivers. They used automobiles to further their right to vote, and to help at home and overseas during World War I.

 

And yes, if you lived a century ago, you could find a woman on the racetrack. In a few short years, she’ll have her driver’s license. She’s already picking out the car she wants. But first, thrill your future driver with a history she needs to know by giving her Motor Girls.

 

Beginning and ending with a race, this book speaks to the heart of kids who love fast and faster, but racing isn’t all author Sue Macy presents. This book is filled with photos of early cars and their (female) drivers, as well as a wealth of tidbits for young gearheads.

 

Kids will enjoy knowing what it was like to go on a road trip a century ago; how autos helped women’s rights; and what kind of behavior was “ruffianly” on the road. While this book is perfect for 8- to 12-year-old girls with motors on their minds, boys can learn a thing or three from it, too. If they’ve got speed in their souls and eyes locked on a license, Motor Girls will get their engines running.

 

Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was three years old. Readers

with questions or comments may write to Terri in care of this publication.