If you’re looking for a story that sparks curiosity, courage, and a serious case of wanderlust, The Girl Who Raced the World is an absolute gem.
This beautifully told children’s book follows the incredible real-life adventure of Nellie Bly — the fearless journalist who set out in 1889 to travel all the way around the world faster than the fictional Phileas Fogg from Around the World in 80 Days. Spoiler: she didn’t just match him… she beat him.
But what makes this story so powerful isn’t just the race. It’s the spirit behind it.
A Story of Boldness and Boundaries
At a time when women were told to stay home, stay quiet, and definitely not travel solo across oceans, Nellie Bly ignored the rules. Armed with one small bag and a whole lot of determination, she boarded a steamship and set off across continents.
For young readers, it’s more than a travel story. It’s about challenging expectations. It’s about asking, “Why not?” It’s about refusing to accept limits placed on you by society.
And for parents? It’s a brilliant way to introduce children to both history and geography in a way that feels exciting rather than textbook-heavy.
Turning Pages… and Turning Globes
Here’s where it gets even better.
As Nellie travels from New York to England, through Europe, across the Suez Canal, into Asia, and back across the Pacific, the journey practically begs to be followed on a globe.
A flat map in a book is one thing. But when a child can physically spin a globe and trace Nellie’s route with their finger, something clicks. The world stops being abstract. It becomes real. Connected. Tangible.
They can see:
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How vast the Atlantic Ocean really is
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Where the Suez Canal sits between continents
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How far Japan is from the United States
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Just how ambitious an 1889 world journey truly was
Suddenly, geography isn’t just memorising countries. It’s a story unfolding across the planet.
