I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A great book about perseverance by a woman who was told she would never walk again, let alone compete in sports.

“Afterward, I was stronger, I was smarter, I was more confident!”

I really appreciate this book for showing a realistic part of competition: failing…and not giving up. Minda Dentler repeats the mantra above even after being timed-out during her first Ironman race, along with her father’s advice to “just figure it out.” There’s a LOT of focus on her training, going as far back as five years old, when she proved her doctors wrong by learning to walk. Chores are shown as training, just getting to school is training, and so is failure.

The artwork does not skimp on page coverage. There’s a little bit of whitespace, but it’s only ever there as a place for text. And quite a few scenes are packed onto each page! Very rarely is Minda doing just one thing, and more often, it’s like a while training montage.

The book ends with two pages of text, teaching the reader about polio, the Ironman Championship, and adaptive racing equipment. A determined young reader wouldn’t have much trouble with this section, and it’s quite interesting, so hopefully it won’t be missed by solo readers!

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

A nicely readable memoir from the author, of how she overcame receiving polio in India and then being dumped on an orphanage there, yet got as far as becoming the first disabled female athlete to complete the original Hawaiian Iron Man (of 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile handbike ride, then marathon on racing wheelchair). I mean, yes, she struck it lucky, with a doting family taking her on board, and giving her a pair of catchphrases that come and go here like refrains and choruses, but her achievement is certainly one to crow about. The book is an appealing one, too – eye-catchingly placing onomatopoeia onto the landscape (the sound FX almost become the trackside barriers by the finish), and proving its insistence on hard work, determination and other qualities we might easily grow for ourselves very lightly and pleasantly. A strong four stars, and a most valid entrant to the shelf of inspiring life stories you'd like as not never heard told.

I love The Girl Who Figured It Out: The Inspiring True Story of Wheelchair Athlete Minda Dentler Becoming an Ironman World Champion by Minda Dentler. I had never heard of Ms. Dentler's story before, but found it encouraging. The Girl Who Figured It Out: The Inspiring True Story of Wheelchair Athlete Minda Dentler Becoming an Ironman World Champion by Minda Dentler.would be perfect for any story time. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

The Girl Who Figured it Out by Minda Dentler is a short and well illustrated book (by Stephinie Dehennin.) It is the story of Minda Dentler, born in India but adopted by the Dentler family in the US. Minda had polio as a baby and though told she would never walk, became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman Contest. This is an encouraging book and is of interest to both adult and child readers.

This remarkable autobiography of Minda Dentler, an athlete who contracted polio as a child which caused her difficulties in movement. Minda accomplished much more than others expected her to accomplish because she was determined and her parents said that she could figure out a way to do things when she failed or started a challenge. Minda went on to become the first woman Ironman with a disability as well as a global advocate for polio immunizations.

A stunning story of trials and triumph for all ages, Learning about this athlete and her determination to “figure it out” despite all odds, all preconceived notions, is beyond awe-inspiring. The artwork is outstanding and vibrant and pulls you right into the story from the very first page.

I loved "The Girl Who Figured It Out" written by Minda Dentler and illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin. This picture book is about the author's life story living with polio and becoming a superstar athlete. Minda became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship triathlon. The illustrations are gorgeous and the message of the book is great for kids and adults alike. I like that while adaptive sports played a big part of the story, it also talked about other aspects of Minda's life (school, college, getting married, a job etc.).

"The Girl Who Figured It Out" has the potential to be a very important book in the children's picture book space. I think it will appeal to kids with and without disabilities and deserves to have a place in elementary school libraries and classrooms.

This book is about a girl who contracted Polo and became paralyzed her mother had to give her up for adoption and she was adopted and moved to America. Her parents taught her anything is possible and she accomplished a lot but the story focuses on her becoming an Iron Man. This is a beautifully illustrated book and the story is very compelling. The end of the book gives you added details about the main focuses of the book with real-life pictures.

I LOVED this book! The true story of Minda Dentler, diagnosed with polio and then physically challenged as a result, became the first female wheelchair athlete to compete in the Ironman World Championship. As a professor in education, I can use this in so many ways to teach educators. A book that has so many themes-- resilience, grit, disabilities, overcoming adversity, differences, adoption and growth mindset--and I could go on and on. The illustrations were beautiful too. I cannot wait to purchase this book and use it in my classes. Well done! Thank you to @netgalley and @Sourcebookskids for the advanced copy.

I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Kids through NetGalley.
Dentler shares her story from early childhood through completing an Ironman Triathlon. Readers see the challenges she faced and her perseverance to overcome them. The illustrations support the text and show her strength as well as discouragement as she pushed herself to do her best. I appreciate the message of working toward goals and overcoming obstacles. Her father's "Figure it out." message will resonate with readers of all ages. Looking forward to sharing this one with classes.

The Girl Who Figured It Out is an inspirational picture book autobiography about Minda Dentler, the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship triathlon. I love picture books that are based on the real lives of people who overcame obstacles and accomplished amazing things! This book discusses how Minda overcame many obstacles, but realized there was still something missing. I think it's important to let young readers know that success looks different for different people...although Minda had accomplished so much, she knew she was capable of more and pushed herself to reach for her goals. Another important aspect of this story is that Minda didn't succeed the first time she attempted a triathlon. She had to go back and train more until she was ready to try again. I think it's all the more inspiring that she didn't give up and continued striving for what she knew she was capable of!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for the opportunity to review an eARC of The Girl Who Figured It Out.

This is the type of biography for children that I wish "Little People Big World" would write. This book happens to be about Minda Dentler. She was the first disabled woman to compete and win an Iron Man world championship. This story starts with how Minda lost the use of her legs, which was polio, and how she was adopted and came to the states, and how her parents always told her she could do anything as long as she could figure it out. It was that tenacity that helped Minda never shy away from doing something she loved. The readers see and feel that love in the pages of this book. Not only is the story interesting and joyous, the illustrations are just as fun and give a vibrancy that makes someone want to keep turning the pages and read this more than once.

Can a girl with crutches/wheelchairs work hard enough to do what most people on the planet cannot begin to do? With hard work, ingenuity, and perseverance born of an extremely supportive dad, the answer is YES. What is the Ironman challenge? IRONMAN Triathlon. Swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles. Run 26.2 miles. Brag for the rest of your life. #IRONMANtri #AnythingIsPossible #OlympicAndParalympicChallenge
The book is colorfully and believably illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age, great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your public library!
I requested and received a temporary electronic copy on Adobe Digital Editions from SOURCEBOOKS
Kids, Sourcebooks eXplore via NetGalley. Thank you!

Thank you to Sourcebook Kids and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this picture book for my speech students. I think this biography is fantastic and presents a moral lesson that my speech students would love to learn about. I also appreciate the artstyle. However, I think it's best for my older students rather than my younger ones. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars

This had been a very enjoyable read for me! The story details someone who overcomes huge challenges because she tried. Those children with pysical disabilities may well be especially inspired by Minda's story. I hope so. The story is futher enhanced by great illustrations. Over all, I was very well satisfied and have given the author a 5 Star rating for her book.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

December 2023

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

Before this book I had NOT heard of or about Minda Dentler. I am glad I got the chance to read this book and find out why she is well known. She truly has accomplished wonderful things, despite limitations.
I like that this book can teach kids (and even adults) about disabilities and other differences. This is needed. The book also highlights to work hard and NEVER give up on your goals. This lesson applies not only to the disabled, but to those who or able bodied too . I got an advanced review copy from netgalley, but my review is unbiased.

This biography of a determined woman athlete will be the perfect opening story for my unit on courageous characters. What a shining example of perseverence!

A beautiful book that inspires those who have different abilities to reach for the stars, grow within themselves, and never back down. I absolutely adore a children's book that teaches that we are all differently abled and regardless of that, we deserve to respect each other, be kind to one another, and never let life stop us.

The Girl who Figured it Out is a gorgeously illustrated book about the first wheelchair athlete, Mina Dentler, becoming an Ironman World Champion.
Following Dentler from her birth in India, to getting sick and being put for adoption, moving to the US to be adopted, and going to school while learning to walk, to completing the Ironman World Championship this book has gorgeous illustrations full of color and emotion. The Girl Who Figured it Out shows the importance of accessibility and representation due to Dentler finding her inspiration to become an athlete through seeing others with disabilities be successful.