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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Annie Oakley?
You want girl power? Meet Annie Oakley! Born in 1860, she became one of the best-loved and most famous women of her generation. She amazed audiences all over the world with her sharpshooting, horse-riding, action-packed performances. In an age when most women stayed home, she traveled the world and forged a new image for American women.
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First published February 1, 2002
125 people are currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Spinner
54 books32 followersI was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in Rockaway Beach, New York. I read straight through my childhood, with breaks for food, sleep, and the bathroom. I went to college in Bennington, Vermont, moved to New York City, and took a job in publishing so I could get paid for reading. I read so much bad fiction that I needed a break, so I moved to London, and from there I traveled to Morocco, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan India, Nepal, and Ceylon. I came back to America, wandered around some more -- to Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize -- and on returning to New York decided to study Tibetan Buddhist painting (called thangka painting) in Boulder, Colorado.
I painted thangkas for many years. Each one took anywhere from several weeks to a few months to complete, and at long last I understood that this was not the ideal way for me to make a living. Only a few hundred Americans collected thangkas, and they wanted old ones, painted by Tibetan monks. It was time to make a change.
So I took another publishing job, this time in children’s books. I found that I liked children’s books a lot, and before long, I became an editor.
Years passed. I was encouraged to write. I scoffed at the idea that I had anything to write about. I edited some wonderfully talented authors -- Virginia Hamilton, Philip Isaacson, Clyde Robert Bulla, Gloria Whelan, Robin McKinley, Joan Vinge, Garth Nix, and Chris Lynch, among others -- with great enjoyment. Writing seemed like torture by comparison.
Then, to my amazement, I found myself writing a book and having a good time -- simultaneously! The book was ALIENS FOR BREAKFAST, and I enjoyed writing it because my co-author was Jonathan Etra. Jon (who died of heart disease in 1990) was a close friend with a wild sense of humor, and collaborating with him changed my opinion of writing forever. After ALIENS FOR BREAKFAST, and ALIENS FOR LUNCH, which we also co-wrote, I began to think that writing could be interesting fun.
And now that I’ve been doing it full-time for more than ten years, I can tell you why I like it better than a job. First, I can work in my bathrobe. (To the FedEx man and the UPS man, I am "the woman in the plaid flannel robe.") Second, I can eat when I’m hungry, choose when to take phone calls, and walk my dogs any time. Third, the only meetings I have -- and they’re short -- are with the dry cleaner and the post office ladies. Fourth, I can read whatever I please. I may tell people I’m doing research when I read about horse-trekking, or hunting in ancient Greece, or 16 ways to better compost, but the truth is, I’m not doing research, I’m having a good time. Which I think is still allowed.
I painted thangkas for many years. Each one took anywhere from several weeks to a few months to complete, and at long last I understood that this was not the ideal way for me to make a living. Only a few hundred Americans collected thangkas, and they wanted old ones, painted by Tibetan monks. It was time to make a change.
So I took another publishing job, this time in children’s books. I found that I liked children’s books a lot, and before long, I became an editor.
Years passed. I was encouraged to write. I scoffed at the idea that I had anything to write about. I edited some wonderfully talented authors -- Virginia Hamilton, Philip Isaacson, Clyde Robert Bulla, Gloria Whelan, Robin McKinley, Joan Vinge, Garth Nix, and Chris Lynch, among others -- with great enjoyment. Writing seemed like torture by comparison.
Then, to my amazement, I found myself writing a book and having a good time -- simultaneously! The book was ALIENS FOR BREAKFAST, and I enjoyed writing it because my co-author was Jonathan Etra. Jon (who died of heart disease in 1990) was a close friend with a wild sense of humor, and collaborating with him changed my opinion of writing forever. After ALIENS FOR BREAKFAST, and ALIENS FOR LUNCH, which we also co-wrote, I began to think that writing could be interesting fun.
And now that I’ve been doing it full-time for more than ten years, I can tell you why I like it better than a job. First, I can work in my bathrobe. (To the FedEx man and the UPS man, I am "the woman in the plaid flannel robe.") Second, I can eat when I’m hungry, choose when to take phone calls, and walk my dogs any time. Third, the only meetings I have -- and they’re short -- are with the dry cleaner and the post office ladies. Fourth, I can read whatever I please. I may tell people I’m doing research when I read about horse-trekking, or hunting in ancient Greece, or 16 ways to better compost, but the truth is, I’m not doing research, I’m having a good time. Which I think is still allowed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
July 5, 2017
4 Stars
I always like the who was books for many reasons. I have already had some background knowledge about Annie Oakley, but after reading this I learn way more than I already knew. This book provided great facts that I did not know or knew before about her life and how she became so famous. I really enjoyed reading this book.
I always like the who was books for many reasons. I have already had some background knowledge about Annie Oakley, but after reading this I learn way more than I already knew. This book provided great facts that I did not know or knew before about her life and how she became so famous. I really enjoyed reading this book.
March 27, 2023
I read this educational book to my granddaughter who is obsessed with Annie Oakley. This series of books are great for younger children to learn about people in history.
January 11, 2017
Who Was Annie Oakley? by Stephanie Spinner taught me a good deal about her personal life I never heard before. I knew some of the basics but none of the details that are given in this book. This book is over 100 pages packed with rich info of this woman and I came out of this book feeling totally different about her then I did going in. Myths have a way of tainting a person and this book is one I am glad I read. It is made for middle grades or teens but it is a book the whole family will enjoy. I got this one from the library and will search for more of these rich in knowledge books.
February 14, 2025
──⟡⋆˙✩ 3.5 stars ✩ ⋆˙⟡──
I just read this with my two younger siblings, and now my throat hurts from that non-stop reading aloud for hours. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
I just read this with my two younger siblings, and now my throat hurts from that non-stop reading aloud for hours. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
October 9, 2020
Who was Annie Oakley? The baddest, coolest lady who ever lived.
December 1, 2022
We love who was books. Great for the beginner reader to learn stories about famous or historical people.
July 17, 2025
A decent little biography about a very talented woman, who tried to do a lot of good in her life.
May 16, 2016
This book is all about Annie Oakley,and her life doing lots of competitions.She won against the champion Frank and got married.From then on it was about the two of them in the circus.Annie also taught woman to shoot guns.And their retirement.
June 28, 2020
These books are perfect for how much detail my girls and I want to learn about any subject.
The story of Annie Oakley is crazy to me since women were not allowed to do much besides stay home and take care of their children in the late 1800s. She is one of the first few women who didn't let anyone tell her she couldn't do what she wanted to do. By the age of 15, she was able to earn enough money to pay off her mom's house by winning enough shooting competitions.
The story of Annie Oakley is crazy to me since women were not allowed to do much besides stay home and take care of their children in the late 1800s. She is one of the first few women who didn't let anyone tell her she couldn't do what she wanted to do. By the age of 15, she was able to earn enough money to pay off her mom's house by winning enough shooting competitions.
November 26, 2018
109 pages. This is a great biography on a wild west legend who was able to win the hearts of Americans and even Queen Victoria! Her humble beginnings and life struggles will inspire kids, especially girls. I highly recommend it for grades 5 and up.
September 28, 2017
Who is Annie Oakley? is a simple but informative biography that would work well for younger children to better learn about women in history. The book details that life of Annie Oakley, from her birth as Phoebe Ann Moses in 1860 to her death in 1926. It makes sure to go over details such as her abusive first job, and the fact that, during her life, it was not socially acceptable for a woman to shoot. The book talks about Annie’s beginning in shooting shows, her meeting and quick marriage with Frank Butler, and her time in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. The book also focuses on Annie’s life after the Wild West show and what happened to her.
Easily the most interesting part of this book is how much depth that it goes into. The book discusses a lot of aspects of Annie’s life, including things that most children, even those who were interested in her before reading, would not necessarily know. It in length just how many people Annie was able to meet, including Chief Sitting Bull, who adopts her as his pseudo daughter, and Queen Victoria herself. Another interesting element of the story is that it details Annie’s troubled relationship with Buffalo Bill himself, who seems to have been partly jealous of Annie’s success, and set up a revival for her in Lillian Smith. The book also talks about some of the false news articles that surrounded her, including an incident where a woman arrested for disorderly conduct gave Annie’s name and the lawsuits that followed. While it is a shorter book, and one best for younger children, it is also one that is extremely informative and will give the reader a clear understanding about a female figure that they might not have heard of.
One of the most important aspects of the book is the ideas that it shows. Annie is shown to, while definitely challenging the sexism of her day, shooting guns and performing in shows, the book shows that Annie does not see herself as less of a woman for her pursuits. This seems to be to be important for some girls who worry that liking things that are ‘boyish’ might mean that they should not be able to engage in that activity. The life of Annie Oakley is something that defied the ideas of its time in every way. Annie was both a capable woman in her own right, but also worked hard to avoid the stigma at the time that was attached to female entertainers, and achieved a great deal of acceptance in her society.
In class, I think that this book could make a very good project for independent reading as well as reading aloud to younger children, such as second or third grade. The book is small, simple, and movies quickly. It also is divided into small chapters and contains no words that would confuse the majority of students. What’s more, it is interesting, and could easily engage students who are interested in history or the Wild West. This is also a book that could be used as a part of a social studies unit, where issues in American History such as American Expansion into the West could be better looked at by examining the life of people who were associated with it. There are several other, group and individual ways of using this book, but all in all, this is an excellent book for young readers with lots of potential in the classroom.
Easily the most interesting part of this book is how much depth that it goes into. The book discusses a lot of aspects of Annie’s life, including things that most children, even those who were interested in her before reading, would not necessarily know. It in length just how many people Annie was able to meet, including Chief Sitting Bull, who adopts her as his pseudo daughter, and Queen Victoria herself. Another interesting element of the story is that it details Annie’s troubled relationship with Buffalo Bill himself, who seems to have been partly jealous of Annie’s success, and set up a revival for her in Lillian Smith. The book also talks about some of the false news articles that surrounded her, including an incident where a woman arrested for disorderly conduct gave Annie’s name and the lawsuits that followed. While it is a shorter book, and one best for younger children, it is also one that is extremely informative and will give the reader a clear understanding about a female figure that they might not have heard of.
One of the most important aspects of the book is the ideas that it shows. Annie is shown to, while definitely challenging the sexism of her day, shooting guns and performing in shows, the book shows that Annie does not see herself as less of a woman for her pursuits. This seems to be to be important for some girls who worry that liking things that are ‘boyish’ might mean that they should not be able to engage in that activity. The life of Annie Oakley is something that defied the ideas of its time in every way. Annie was both a capable woman in her own right, but also worked hard to avoid the stigma at the time that was attached to female entertainers, and achieved a great deal of acceptance in her society.
In class, I think that this book could make a very good project for independent reading as well as reading aloud to younger children, such as second or third grade. The book is small, simple, and movies quickly. It also is divided into small chapters and contains no words that would confuse the majority of students. What’s more, it is interesting, and could easily engage students who are interested in history or the Wild West. This is also a book that could be used as a part of a social studies unit, where issues in American History such as American Expansion into the West could be better looked at by examining the life of people who were associated with it. There are several other, group and individual ways of using this book, but all in all, this is an excellent book for young readers with lots of potential in the classroom.
July 28, 2020
Very cool story. I knew of this woman, but not much about her life, which was very interesting.
August 4, 2020
Loved it!!! So interesting!
June 3, 2016
She was truly miraculous. This was a very good read.
December 29, 2025
Pretty good book overall. I don't know why it took me so long to read... It's a very short book.
September 26, 2023
Annie Oakley was a sharpshooter. Even as a girl, despite her misogynist father who didn’t want women shooting, she was hunting birds with her father’s rifle. Her skill grew and grew, as she won sharpshooting competitions, until she became famous for it. This would be a highly American story—guns, rags to riches—if not for the fact that Annie Oakley was a woman.
Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Moses in a large Quaker family. She was no cowgirl—she wouldn’t go west of Kansas until she joined Buffalo Bill’s show. Annie had a hard life, shuffling around from family to family. Even as a teenager, Annie Oakley was winning shooting competitions. She was so good that Frank Butler gave up his own career to marry her, unlike in the musical. I hate the musical.
Annie Oakley was an entertainer. She joined the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show to perform her shooting tricks in front of a large audience. She dressed as a cowgirl even though she was from Ohio. She split a playing card in half with a bullet and shot while lying upside down over a bunch of chairs. She was so good that Sitting Bull adopted her as his daughter, giving her the name “Little Sure Shot”. Which is correct. Annie Oakley performed for the crowned heads of Europe, like Queen Victoria.
Annie Oakley was a woman of leisure. What I love about this biography is how it shows Annie Oakley’s daily life as well as all the details of her feats. She loved the strenuous life, but her daily routine allowed for much leisure. Or at least, that’s what she wanted. She bought a big house, but rarely got to stay in it.
Annie Oakley was a proud woman. Even in retirement, she taught the elderly ladies how to shoot. Her legacy lives on through a terrible musical and this biography, which might be too nice to her. I don’t know if Annie Oakley is a feminist figure. She is a great woman, but individually. She cared about teaching women to shoot, but is shooting guns really empowering? I don’t care. Annie Oakley was awesome.
Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Moses in a large Quaker family. She was no cowgirl—she wouldn’t go west of Kansas until she joined Buffalo Bill’s show. Annie had a hard life, shuffling around from family to family. Even as a teenager, Annie Oakley was winning shooting competitions. She was so good that Frank Butler gave up his own career to marry her, unlike in the musical. I hate the musical.
Annie Oakley was an entertainer. She joined the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show to perform her shooting tricks in front of a large audience. She dressed as a cowgirl even though she was from Ohio. She split a playing card in half with a bullet and shot while lying upside down over a bunch of chairs. She was so good that Sitting Bull adopted her as his daughter, giving her the name “Little Sure Shot”. Which is correct. Annie Oakley performed for the crowned heads of Europe, like Queen Victoria.
Annie Oakley was a woman of leisure. What I love about this biography is how it shows Annie Oakley’s daily life as well as all the details of her feats. She loved the strenuous life, but her daily routine allowed for much leisure. Or at least, that’s what she wanted. She bought a big house, but rarely got to stay in it.
Annie Oakley was a proud woman. Even in retirement, she taught the elderly ladies how to shoot. Her legacy lives on through a terrible musical and this biography, which might be too nice to her. I don’t know if Annie Oakley is a feminist figure. She is a great woman, but individually. She cared about teaching women to shoot, but is shooting guns really empowering? I don’t care. Annie Oakley was awesome.
February 8, 2021
Who Was Annie Oakley? by Stephanie Spinner is one of the award winning "Who Was..." series; this series is targeted for younger readers but is also interesting for older readers as well with black-and-white artwork throughout; illustrated by Larry Day for this book. Annie Oakley was born Annie (Phoebe Ann Moses) in 1860 in Ohio. She loved to go hunting and shooting in the woods with her father to help put food on the table. When she was ten, after her father died, she was sent to work at a nearby infirmary to relieve some of the family expenses. When she returned home for her sister's wedding, she was able to pay off her mother's mortgage with money she earned from shooting matches. It was at one of these matches that she met a sharpshooter named Frank Butler...and beat him as well as everyone else. Within a year she and Frank got married and started their own shooting demonstrations as a career; this is when she picked up the name Oakley. They joined a circus becoming one of the most popular acts and then moved to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show where she became one of the best-loved and most famous women of her generation. She amazed audiences all over the world with her sharpshooting, horse-riding, action-packed performances. In an age when most women stayed home, she traveled the world and forged a new image for American women even teaching shooting classes for young women. She and Frank stayed together for the rest of their lives and died eighteen days apart. You say you want girl power? Check out Annie Oakley's amazing story.
March 12, 2018
A good Who Was book, full of interesting info, as expected. However, I have to give this one a lower rating for two reasons.
1) The author did not include any source notes or bibliography, which is actually unusual for this series. I did find a couple other early books in the series with the same problem, so I'm hoping this is something that the publisher ironed out early on. Sources are vital for non-fiction titles.
2) The author also made no mention of the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio, (which has a major exhibit about Annie Oakley) and the fact that the town holds the Annie Oakley Festival every year. This is a more personal complaint, as I'm familiar with the area. However, I believe interested readers should know how important Annie Oakley is to Darke County and where they can visit if they want more hands-on information. It seems like a missed opportunity to me.
1) The author did not include any source notes or bibliography, which is actually unusual for this series. I did find a couple other early books in the series with the same problem, so I'm hoping this is something that the publisher ironed out early on. Sources are vital for non-fiction titles.
2) The author also made no mention of the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio, (which has a major exhibit about Annie Oakley) and the fact that the town holds the Annie Oakley Festival every year. This is a more personal complaint, as I'm familiar with the area. However, I believe interested readers should know how important Annie Oakley is to Darke County and where they can visit if they want more hands-on information. It seems like a missed opportunity to me.
January 30, 2022
One of my sisters, growing up, had an obsession with Annie Oakley. We always seemed to have books about her from the library! And I know I read several as a kid, but there were things I forgot... Like that she was born in Ohio, where I'm from... And things I didn't know... Like that when papers falsely accused her of being a cocaine user to improve her shooting, she was so upset by the smear on her character and good morals that she took every single paper to court and won every case.. Wow!! Dare I say we need people today that care about their character and name?? What do people think of when they hear your name? Annie was glad people thought of her a a great markswoman...she was more happy when they thought of her as a wholesome and moral person. Absolutely inspirational!!! 🌻
June 14, 2024
For what I learned and found interesting, definitely a 5/5. The timeline and the historic people she met through her life were very interesting! In comparison to other books in the series, I think more clarity was needed for how many years passed so I had to reread a couple times or go back and refer to a timeline or another page. Some items were merely a sentence or short paragraph and could have been expounded on. Finally, when she meets historic figures, such as Queen Victoria, and it talks of her mourning for her king, it would have been nice to have a short explanation about the English King and Queen and their marriage, such as they tend to do in the other texts.
Overall it was a very good read. There was so much I had no idea about!
Overall it was a very good read. There was so much I had no idea about!
June 12, 2025
The American sharpshooter and folk heroine starred in Buffalo Bills Wild West Show. She developed her hunting and shooting skills as a child to help feed her impoverished family. At age 15, Annie won a shoot in contest against an experienced marksman. Later Annie and her husband, Frank Butler joined Buffalo Bills Wild West show that toured Europe and performed for royalty and other heads of state.
Annie continued to wow audiences with her shooting prowess.
An easy to follow and short biography that was extremely entertaining.
Annie continued to wow audiences with her shooting prowess.
An easy to follow and short biography that was extremely entertaining.
February 1, 2018
As with most of the "Who Was" books, I loved this one. I had always heard Annie's name and knew she was a sharp shooter but I didn't know much else. Reading this with my 5 year old was great and she was excited to hear about Annie Oakley's life. She now wants to be a cowgirl when she grows up. Very informative without there being too much information. Both my daughter and I learned and were engrossed in it, highly recommend!
March 18, 2023
What an Amazing Life!
Annie Oakley was born in my home state and met her husband in my home town. But I didn’t learn this until I read this biography. What little I knew about her came from a Deadwood Wild West show put on for the tourists.
She, and her husband, were talented, generous and kind. One of these days I may read an adult version of her life’s story. But for now, this one was very satisfying.
Annie Oakley was born in my home state and met her husband in my home town. But I didn’t learn this until I read this biography. What little I knew about her came from a Deadwood Wild West show put on for the tourists.
She, and her husband, were talented, generous and kind. One of these days I may read an adult version of her life’s story. But for now, this one was very satisfying.
September 5, 2020
My first “Why was/is” “big heads” bio. Very engaging, filled with fun illustrations and age appropriate text. Nice size font and book size. I love the timelines at the end, one for Annie Oakley and the other for the same time frame for the world. Only drawback, no back matter (except the timelines) or resources. Overall a good place to start to build background knowledge for a research project.
December 22, 2018
The Who is/who was series continue to publish famous people of the world who continue to inspire thousands of readers. One can always see the strength in all the characters in this series. Know America. Know Annie Oakley.
March 23, 2021
Dinged it a star for being uncritical of the treatment of Native Americans. Annie Oakley was an amazing woman but participating in a show that celebrates the genocide of Native Americans is a little problematic.
April 19, 2021
Great information on Annie Oakley. Read this with my daughter that was doing a report on the famous sharpshooter from Ohio. I love how it was written at her level, yet still full of so much information.
November 6, 2017
women power!
March 10, 2018
Short yet educational read. I’m a big fan of these books.
April 5, 2018
A fun read with my 5th Graders. We learned many new things about Annie Oakley.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews