Nellie Bly is not a fictional character.  Although few people today have heard of her, Nellie Bly was an actual woman living in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the United States.  Strong-willed and intelligent, she was able to achieve what most people in her day thought unachievable. 

     She was one of the first woman journalists, dubbed by many to be "the best journalist in America." She was a pioneer in investigative journalism, exposing several societal injustices (especially those targeted against women and children), such as harsh working conditions for women and children employed in factories, cruel treatment of patients in hospitals for the mentally ill, and employment agency scams victimizing immigrant workers.  Despite great odds and several setbacks, Nellie never gave up her efforts to reach her highest potential.

     Nellie's career was launched soon after she began writing for Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, The World.  Nellie's first article for The World was the result of Nellie's bold ingenuity:  by pretending to be insane, Nellie was able to get herself commited to the notorious Blackwell's Insane Asylum in New York.  The resulting article about her experience uncovered cruel and unusual treatment of patients and prompted the State of New York to begin improving conditions at state hospitals.

     Nellie's most famous feat came at the age of 23, when she convinced Joseph Pulitzer to sponsor her on a trip around the world, in an attempt to beat the record of the fictional Jules Verne character Phileas Fogg in Verne's book Around the World in Eighty Days.  The amazing story of Nellie's trip was carried in all of the world's biggest newspapers, which printed accounts of her journey as she wired them back to New York.  Attempting to do what no man or woman had ever been able to do, Nellie beat the record by circling the globe in 72 days, and a new heroine was born.  Songs and boards games were created about Nellie's trip, her clothing and hat were all the fashion, and her likeness appeared in several advertisements and on trade cards.

     Nellie's many achievements are admirable and inspiring, even by today's standards.  I hope by telling her story in this book, I can help parents and teachers instill a desire in our children to do their very best...whatever their best may be.  It is truly amazing to think what children are capable of achieving, given the right guidance.  And we must keep in mind that achievement can be counted in many ways, whether it be an achievement of the heart, the mind, the body or the soul. 

     All it takes is a little bit of encouragement, a good dose of positive reinforcement, and a lot of love...