| Fame Is Not Just for the Fellas : Female Renown and the Childhood of Famous Americans Series Finalist of the 2023 SHARP History of the Book Prize In telling the story of how female subjects were chosen and what went into writing these histories for young female readers of the time, Pfitzer illustrates how these books shaped children's thinking and historical imaginations around girlhood using tales from the past. Utilizing documented conversations and disagreements among authors, editors, readers, reviewers, and sales agents at Bobbs-Merrill, "Fame Is Not Just for the Fellas" places the series in the context of national debates around fame, gender, historical memory, and portrayals of children and childhood for a young reading public--charged debates that continue to this day. GREGORY M. PFITZER is professor of American studies at Skidmore College and author of History Repeating Itself: The Republication of Children's Historical Literature and the Christian Right . |