An amusing and shortened story about Nellie Bly who one day had an idea to beat Jules Verne's book, and made up her mind to circle the world less than 80 days. And as her concurrence, Elizabeth Bisland circled the world the other way around. A fun and amusing story, with a deep meaning at the end. So very inspiring yet easy to digest.

This is about the true life adventure of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland. Over 100 years ago everyone was reading a book called around the World in 80 days. Nellie Bly looking for an amazing story says she can do it and do it faster and she did. She was not only the first woman but the first person to beat the famous 80 days around the world. This may seem like a small feat in our modern society, but at the time this was major. All the newspapers followed her but she wasn’t the only one. Unbeknownst to her for most of her journey she had another reporter doing the same thing in the opposite direction. Elizabeth Bisland was the complete opposite of Nelly Bly. However she took on this quest bound and determined to do her best. This was an interesting look at both women and I really enjoyed the quotes from various historical newspapers that are included. It’s a nice antidote about historical figures we don’t normally hear about. However I find that the story with the quotes all together make it a bit convoluted and a little crazy. Overall I liked the book I just didn’t love it.

I was familiar with both of these women already but had never read of the intersection between them, their parallel journeys around the world. It's a solid comparison both between them as people and their approaches to the challenge.

Fun children's book about two incredible women I'd never heard of! The drawings are lively and engaging, as is the competition in the story. Well researched book with interesting author's note.

From the 'get go' (the enthusiastically illustrated front cover and beyond), of this book is a rivetingly exciting read. What's more, its a biography of an almost forgotten time and of the 'actresses' who enacted a most adventurous drama on the world stage. These two courageous women, Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland, female journalists who came to the fore as pioneers of their time where female anything was NOT the norm except in the domestic sphere, electrified their newpaper readership, and of course, the bottom line, boosted sales. Inadvertantly, Nellie began a race with Elizabeth in a whirlwind around-the-world in fewer than 80 days, audacious trip, which involved several boats and trains there and back during the 1889-1890 years. It was a remarkable eye-opening trip of a lifetime for both women. I won't tell you who won, you'll have to find that out for yourself but they did open the world to women, showing that they could be just as innovative and daring as their male counterparts. This true biographical tale for young readers is a fabulous read even for adults and earns my 5-star-of-approval opinion.

Included in the book is a very interesting Timeline of Women from 1889 which lists several other female Investigative Journalists and their exploits. Truly educational as well as entertaining.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

January 2022

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

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Thank you to the author, Astra Publishing House and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This account of the race of two female journalists around the world is fun and informative for the target audience, and the text is easy to follow with news dispatches and bits of the original writings of each woman. The illustrations are colorful, but both text and illustrations offer only the briefest glimpse of each woman, her journey and experiences - I would have wished for a bit more in terms of content.

The back of the book is great, giving a bit more detail on both women's lives and careers, and including a wonderful timeline of female journalists. Overall, well done and well worth reading with young readers.

A great 40 pg. book aimed at a 7-10 age group. It's colorful, detailed illustrations assist in telling the story of 2 pioneering historical women...Nellie Bly & Elizabeth Bisland, & their historical 1889 trip around the world. It's quite an informative account, & young & older will probably learn something....& enjoy the experience.......I know I did! I had never heard of E. Bisland, but won't forget her now! At the end there is a couple pages telling about historical female investigative journalists, & that's quite interesting too. The 'Illustrator's Note' is also worth reading. Recommended for all libraries.....for your history section, or your 'girl power' section!
I received a complimentary e copy of this book from Astra Publishing House, Calkins Creek via NetGalley, in exchange for reading it & offering a fair & honest review.

Nellie VS. Elizabeth is a quick-paced retelling of the two female journalists’ race around the world that has some good points but felt like it falls a bit short of its potential. It begins with a very brief (one page) intro to the two women, with Nellie “eager and energetic” and Elizabeth “refined and dignified,” then leaps into Nellie’s idea for a journey to beat Verne’s 80 days around the world. Her editors prefer a man do it, of course, but then quickly change their minds and off she goes. Elizabeth’s editor, well aware of the potential, asks Elizabeth to race Nellie in the opposite direction, and the rest of the book shows the two women journeying around the world, usually with split panels: the left showing Nellie in various places (mid-sea, in Japan) and the right showing Elizabeth (mid-desert, in France.

The text is easy to follow and offers up some primary sourcing from both women’s writing as well as news dispatches of the day. I would have liked to have seen more from the women, especially some lines that are distinctively them. What’s here is sufficient, but not a lot of personality. Overall, the text is perhaps a bit flat. The illustrations are colorful and cheery, though again it feels like the full potential isn’t wholly met save for a few panels that makes place come alive as entirely unique settings.

The aftermatter is excellent: a bit more detail on both women’s lives, careers, and deaths, following by a great timeline of women journalists. In the end, this is a solid story and a good pickup, though it feels like it could have been more via both text and illustration. 3.5

Nellie Bly is a fascinating woman. I've read other books about her and encourage you to do the same. In 1887 she spent 10 horrific days in an insane asylum to get a story for Joseph Pulitzer. Her experience brought about reform. She went out of her way to get the truth.

Two years after the insane asylum, in 1889, Nellie was inspired by Jules Verne book, "Around the World in 80 Days." She decided to prove she could travel around the world in less than 80 days. Not to be undone, Elisabeth Bisland, another female journalist, heard about Nellie's adventure and made it a competition.

NELLIE Vs. ELIZABETH by Kate Hannigan is a wonderful telling of the race between two headstrong female journalists. The book begins by comparing the personalities of each woman and then goes on to describes how the race got started and about situations that took place during the race.

Children will love this book. Not only is the story adventurous, but the illustrations are fantastic. They are colorful and whimsical. My grandchildren found the pictures fascinating and even laughed at one or two. I can't tell you which pictures because it would give too much away. I will love reading this to my grandchildren. It is well researched history and beautifully illustrated. Most of all it is fun for children and a wonderful book to add to your collection. I will buy one and gift it to my grandchildren's school.

I received a free copy of this book for review and was not required to give a positive review. Thank you Astra Publishing House and NetGalley

I enjoyed this book! I also learned something, which being a teacher and a forever-learner is a huge plus for me. I had heard of the name Nellie Bly, but to be honest I was not sure of why and what her significance was.

This book shares Nellie Bly’s adventure to go around the globe in less than 80 days. She was an investigative journalist and always loved being the midst of action. Elizabeth Bisland, also an investigative journalist, however, was more quiet and dignified. So, when Nellie set out to travel around the globe in one direction, Elizabeth’s editor suggested she do the same but in the opposite direction….and make it a RACE! This book accounts their travels…the fun and the hardships…in a fun comparative timeline setup.

What I also loved about this book is the Author’s note at the back that includes more information about Nellie and Elizabeth AND several other female investigative journalists.

I look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom. It’s a good book to share that you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. Especially us ladies ;)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC e-reader!

Review posted on my Instagram page @lizzies_little_library_

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. The story was fantastic. And the pictures were amazing!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
Good job presenting factual information in picture book format. It's a difficult balance to keep it entertaining and engaging.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an exciting and informational retelling of the first two women to travel the globe and the competition between them. The bright, colourful illustrations are beautiful and I loved the real historical quotes that were included throughout the story. Would definitely be a good text to use in the classroom if teaching about this and I love that it celebrates female achievements!

Although the name of this book suggests that Nellie and Elizabeth were adversaries, as the book points out in the end this is really a tale of success for all. The world witnessed two bold, confident, amazing women traveling around the globe independently, which is a win for humanity and a blow for the stodgy old thoughts about the meek and mild woman needing a man to lean on. I loved the travel anecdotes and quotes, and enjoyed the spirit these two women brought to the adventure! Easily a book that should grace the shelves in my classroom! Love it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Calkins Creek for a free digital copy.

What a fun story about an event in history I did not know about. Written in a very accessible way for children, this book shares a race around the world in a zany way that kids and adults alike will appreciate.

Super great and informative children's non-fiction about two incredible female journalists in the 19th century. Nellie, inspired by Around the World in 80 days, decided to travel around the globe in 75 days for a piece. A rival firm sent their own female journalist on her own trip around the globe as well at the same time, but in the opposite direction. Nellie became the first person, man or woman, ever to circle the globe in that time.

What a great story! Yet another set of women who made history that I've never heard about.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this wonderful book. With colorful illustrations and child friendly language, this book highlights two women journalists and their race around the world. The original quotes from the newspapers and magazines of the time greatly enhanced the story. The author’s note at the end of the book provides more information about this historic event. I’m looking forward to using this wonderful book with my students.

I loved this book!
It was interesting and I had NO idea that these two women existed IRL and made these journeys simultaneously!
I also loved the snippets from the real newspaper publications sprinkled throughout the book. My kids also found the illustrations bright and charming.
We read this together before bed one night and now they’re both begging to go to the library and find more information about these two courageous women!

This book is a stand-out among other books about Nellie Bly's and Elizabeth Bisland's race around the world. It is clearly written, and gives multiple perspectives on the event. It provides quotes that illuminate the event and authenticate it. It is beautifully illustrated with many details that add to the telling. It has informative back matter. It was a pleasure to read. I learned a few more details that contributed to my understanding. A great read aloud and certainly recommended for group and individual reading.

I was so excited to see a book was coming out about Nellie Bly & Elizabeth Bisland, because I had learned about them in my journalism classes. While journalism often does not acknowledge the contributions of women and people of color, I feel that there is an extra significance to this book. My favorite part of the book was the illustrations. However, I did not like the addition of newspaper quotes and I felt that the dialogue could have gone more in depth. Still, this is an enjoyable read. (3.5 stars)