Tag: Radio Girl

Wrong-Way Corrigan–Wacky or Wily?

imageSo the story goes, Douglas Corrigan set out for the west coast from New York’s Bennett Field but ended up in Ireland instead. Did this wild pilot have the world’s worst sense of direction, or was he pulling a fast one?

It’s July, 1938. Airplane mechanic Douglas Corrigan proposes a solo flight across the Atlantic in an airplane he basically dug out of a junkyard. Traversing the ocean is difficult, but nothing new; Charles Lindbergh already succeeded in crossing “the pond” back in ’27. But still, Corrigan’s jazzed about doing it for himself.

imageThe aviation hotshots say no. His plane can’t possibly survive such a trip, which of course means Corrigan wouldn’t survive either. It’d be suicide! Only a fool would take such a chance.

What happens next is the stuff of laughter and legend. Instead of his original proposed eastbound flight, Corrigan files a flight plan from N.Y. To L.A., westward. Then, once he’s in the air he gets turned around, and the next time we hear from him, twenty-eight hours later, he’s landed in Ireland. What happened? Was he so thoroughly mixed up that he could fly for so long without noticing he had flown east instead of west? Was he such a dingbat that he didn’t notice the lack of Nebraska below the plane for the entire 28 hours?!

imageI bet you can guess what I think really happened. What’s your opinion?

Source: This Day in History

Carol Brendler is the author of Radio Girl, a historical novel for young adults, published by Holiday House in 2013.

Cover Love

I used to write for a children’s book cover blog with Julie Larios, Patti Brown and Deirdre Mander called “Jacket Knack.” It’s still up, for the most part–have a look. Anyway, I love book cover art and design, so naturally, I ♥heart♥ the art on my own books. Here’s more about them:

THIS:

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Judy Garland, circa 1938. I think this may be a publicity still; the Wizard of Oz was being filmed around the time of Radio Girl.

PLUS THIS:

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Deanna Durbin, sheet music for “I Love to Whistle” from the film Mad About Music.

EQUALS

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Radio Girl, Holiday House, 2013. Cover art by Mike Koelsch

Cool, yeah? My editor at Holiday House asked me for some input on what Cece should look like (not every author gets to do that!) so naturally, I suggested that she might look like Deanna Durbin or Judy Garland. Both singer/actresses were about fifteen years old in the fall of 1938, and Cece is fourteen. The illustrator, Mike Koelsch, did an amazing job capturing not only her authentic look but also the earnest expression on her face (with just a little trepidation, maybe?). It’s brilliant!

Now here’s where things get a little weird for me. The cover of my first book, Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer, also has–well, you tell me:

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Winnie Finn, illustrated by Ard Hoyt, FSG, 2009

Am I imagining it, or is Winnie‘s cover somewhat similar to Radio Girl’s? In the pose? The hair? No?

BUT WAIT! It gets a little weirder • • • Mike Koelsch was also one of the illustrators of the amazing Earthworm Jim character. I kid you not.

1938 ~ Part III, Ten More New Things

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Nestlé Crunch, an early wrapper look

Nestlé Crunch, an early wrapper look


Today’s installment–Ten more things that were invented, founded and established in ’38.

  1. The Nestle’s Crunch bar. (Back then, maybe it had real chocolate flavor.)
  2. Everybody was reading a new novel by Daphne DuMaurier, Rebecca. (Still really good!)
  3. Tupperware was invented.
    4. Mr. Tupper's invention

    Mr. Tupper’s invention

  4. The first Caldecott Medal was awarded.
  5. Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” was first performed, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize later that same year.
    6. A playbill title page of Our Town

    A playbill title page of Our Town

  6. The Barbershop Harmony Society was founded.
  7. Ella Fitzgerald recorded “A Tisket, a Tasket,” which quickly shot up to #1 on the charts.
  8. This invention was introduced (I foresee a life-safety issue with the design):
    9. Alarming.

    Alarming.

  9. The ball-point pen made its debut. Before the war, it was fountain pens and inkwells like the one Cece fills in Radio Girl.

    10. Pens and ink.

    Pens and ink.


  10. Squirt was born. Said to be named that because it squirts into your mouth like a squeezed grapefruit. Well, I guess.

Seventy-five years ago this year. I was -25 years old. That’s negative 25. Ahem. 🙂