Beatrice Fixes Everything

by Mara Rockliff, Daniel Duncan (Illustrator)

Candlewick has bought Beatrice Fixes Everything by Mara Rockliff, a picture book biography about Beatrice Shilling, a World War II engineer, whose brilliance and tenacity not only helped win the war but also helped her flourish at a time when women had few professional opportunities in engineering. Daniel Duncan will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2021.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Stem, Childrens, World War II

Hardcover

First published September 28, 2021

About the author

Mara Rockliff is the author of many well-loved books for children. Her newest picture book is All at Once Upon a Time, about which Booklist warns, "Be prepared for this amusing storytime selection to be requested over and over."

Among her best-known titles are Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France, winner of the Cook Prize and an Orbis Pictus Honor; Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles, distributed to schools and libraries across the country by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission; and Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which in 2023 received a Sibert Honor from the American Library Association.

Under the pen name Lewis B. Montgomery, she also wrote all twelve books in the popular Milo & Jazz Mysteries chapter book series, which has been translated into Spanish, French, Turkish, and Chinese.

Rockliff lives in Western Massachusetts. Visit her online at mararockliff.com.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beatrice Shilling was a handy person to have around even as a young girl. After rewiring the light in her parent's bedroom so her father could shut the light off from the bed, he was convinced that Beatrice had unusual talents. She was one of those people who is always tinkering and trying to improve things. Her fixes helped many around her, but especially the pilots of World War II. She figured out a way to regulate the fuel that was feeding the engine so that they could more nimbly fight the Luftwaffe. And she was frugal. The new part looked like a washer and could be easily added to the planes without going back into production. The picture book shows Beatrice confidently entering a man's world and succeeding despite their skepticism of her abilities. Her husband George being the exception. The end notes give more information on women who helped her along the way and how she paid it forward for the young women coming along after her. This book is inspiring and illuminating. A fantastic resource for a World War II unit in an elementary classroom.

Thank you to Candlewick and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl Who Could Fix Anything: Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer is a children's picture book written by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Daniel Duncan. It is a wonderful biography of Beatrice Shilling, an aeronautic engineer, whose capabilities turned the tide of war.

Beatrice Shilling was a British aeronautical engineer and amateur racing driver. During the Second World War, she designed and developed "Miss Shilling's orifice" to restrict fuel flow to the carburetor of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

Rockliff's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. This accessible, tongue-in-cheek depiction of Shilling's life and achievements hits all the right notes and shows a woman flourishing in STEM fields. Backmatter includes an author's note and a list of sources. Duncan’s fine-lined illustrations include characters of color among the largely White cast of background characters and conceptualizes the text rather well.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. From an early fascination with toys, radios, and motorcycles, Beatrice Shilling was entranced by the idea of how things worked, taking apart and reassembling the machines around her. Supported by a female engineer, she found her calling early and was encouraged to attend university to sharpen her skills, all the while succeeding at motorcycle racing as well as falling in love and marrying. It was during her time at the Royal Aircraft Establishment during WWII that she truly shone, finding a solution to a fuel-release problem that allowed fighting pilots to maneuver safely.

All in all, The Girl Who Could Fix Anything: Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer is an appealing biography that will inspire young scientists and those who may quietly rebel against the status quo.

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this biographic picture book. I knew women's roles during World War II were significant and important in a variety of fields. I had not heard of Beatrice Shilling and her achievements as an engineer.

This well written and enjoyable read coupled with the wonderful illustrations, will definitely encourage young readers to pursue reading about the accomplishments of real people doing really important things. And of course, the achievements of women in fields typically not attributed to women's accomplishments.

I highly endorse this book for public and school libraries as well as private collections.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

[Brenda Kahn]

Great addition to the "Women in STEM" collection.

[Susan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing woman! I love reading picture books about unknown people like this. (Library)

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! Another delightful and enlightening picture book biography of a woman who helped change the course of history. Beatrice Shilling showed the world in her time, and today, that there is more than one way to live a fulfilling life. I loved the last page especially!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Librarians, teachers, and parents looking for entertaining books that highlight STEM and women in nontraditional jobs should seek out this picture book biography of Beatrice Shilling. She was a skilled engineer and inventor who solved a tricky problem with WWII fighter planes, and who throughout the narrative is shown to be resourceful, resilient and a non-conformist. The text is playful and concise and is accompanied by whimsical illustrations making this a good pick to read aloud and discuss with children. Additional biographical information is included in the Author’s Note.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are wonderfully dynamic, bringing this true story to life in a vivid way. However, that also means that very young, sensitive children may find the book frightening, since the illustrations show planes going down in flames and there is a double page spread vividly portraying the London Blitz.

I really enjoyed this, and was glad to learn about a mechanically minded woman who played a key role in supporting the RAF during WWII. My one critique is the book's ending, which says that instead of having a baby, she and her husband bought a plane. The historical note at the end clarifies that they never actually bought a personal plane, and it always annoys me when authors of historical picture books include vivid fake details amid all of the true facts. Kids will remember what they see, most likely without even reading all of the fine print at the end, and it simply wasn't necessary for the author to fabricate that detail. She could have ended this otherwise wonderful picture book biography in a different way.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love picture book biographies that introduce kids to people and their achievements that they might otherwise never hear anything about. Case in point is this new biography about Beatrice Shilling (1909-1990) and her important WWII engineering accomplishments.
Beatrice always seemed to be the person who was different. As a girl, she preferred tools to sweets, enjoyed taking mechanical things apart and putting them back together, often improving them. Instead of a bike, Beatrice began saving for a motorcycle at age 10.

When she was older, Beatrice was eventually hired as an apprentice by one of the few woman engineers, Miss Partridge, whose job it was to bring electricity to people. And it was Miss Partridge who encouraged Beatrice to go to university to study engineering. Not surprisingly, she was the only female in the class. And also not surprisingly, despite graduating with honors in electrical engineering, only the men in her class could find jobs.

Beatrice had to settle for a job writing handbooks about plane engines (I used to write handbooks for computer users, so I know just how bored Beatrice must have been). But eventually, she was given a hands on job, and met George, a man much like Beatrice, who became her husband. Beatrice loved her new job, but her expertise was really put to the test when WWII began and the RAF were losing pilots and planes when their engines suddenly quit in the middle of a dive during a dogfight.
Could Beatrice figure out how to solve the problem in a timely, cost effective way that wouldn't require taking apart the planes engine? Of course she could - and did.

The Girl Who Could Fix Anything is a wonderful picture book for older readers. Rockliff shows readers that here was intelligent, persistent woman who followed her passion, loved to find out how things worked, and found ways to fix or improve engineering problems, but who also made mistakes, something I think is important for young readers to know about. The writing is light but informative, and the technical details, for example, the fix Beatrice came up with for the RAF, are presented in an easy to understand manner. The subtly colored digitally created illustrations completely harmonize with the text. Back matter includes an Author's Note that provides more about the life of Beatrice Shilling, as well as Selected Sources.

The Girl Who Could Fix Anything is a book that should be in every STEM home, classroom, and school library. Beatrice Shilling is an inspiration to young girls everywhere who might just be a little different from their peers, having an interest in engineering and how things work.

This book is recommended for readers 7+
This book was eARC gratefully received from Edelweiss+

[gloria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ini buku kocak banget how can the Author Notes become way more interesting than the content of the story itself?? Lebih informatif Author’s Notenya dibanding main contentnya?!

The actual main story -which I later find a lot more on the Author’s Note- was so good. Beatrice did a lot of things as women in engineering back in her time. BUT Why didn’t bother to give the information about how she find out her potential and talents related to engineering on the illustrated story?. Not to mention but people who contribute to her journey was mostly women and yet they did not get enough credit on the illustrated story. I found those the information on the Author’s Note and it makes me feel infuriated.

This book’s main content still lack of the main information about Beatrice. Kids needs to know how hard it can be for women to pursue their passion in engineering from Beatrice story. It was a part of her journey too. She had to stand tall against men superiority back at her time to finally get the recognition today. Kids need to know that Beatrice did pioneering work on supersonic engines, rocket fuel, even she contributed to build the Royal Air Force’s Olympic team.

Kids who has passion in engineering really would be missing a lot of information about Beatrice from this book, when in fact this book could’ve spare the information they wrote on the Author’s Note to the actual illustrations.

Sumpah aku cuma kesel banget karena main storynya apa banget tapi author’s notenya malah lebih informatif dan menarik. Terus kalau gitu bikin illustrated storynya buat apa :)

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone looking for a true story about a woman who didn't fit the mold for her times and used her engineering skills to solve a problem with the British fighter planes during WWII will find it here in this picture book that I'd rate a 3.5. The notion that Beatrice Shilling "wasn't quite like" other girls, other students, other competitive racers, and even other engineers is threaded carefully throughout the narrative so that readers can see just how challenging her path to acceptance was. Her mechanical mind made her interested in tools and how things work, but even though she was adept with her hands and knew just about everything it was possible to know about engines, after graduation, she was wasted in a job writing handbooks about engines. The text is so accessible and personal with a sly touch of knowing humor that readers will feel as though they know Beatrice. For example, the text and digital illustrations depict her delight in her wedding present from her co-workers--a set of tools. She and her husband George were different in other respects for typical couples as they decided they'd rather take flying lessons and have a plane instead of adding to their family. This picture book would be a fine addition to a collection dedicated to groundbreakers, strong women, and individuals who marched to their own drum. There is a list of references for those who want to learn more about Beatrice as well as an interesting note from the author.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad Beatrice Shilling's story is being told. She was quite remarkable. As an adult reader, I wanted more from this story. I found it a rather frustrating blend of too-simple for older readers and too-much for very young ones (certainly we can't ignore Beatrice's efforts in inventing the restrictor and helping fix problems with the engines of the Spitfire and Hurricane in WWII but the numerous illustrations of dogfights, plummeting planes on fire, distressed pilots, and London ablaze might be upsetting to sensitive youngsters). I really wanted to know more about HOW Beatrice figured out the problem with the engines when no one else could. I also wanted to know more about how the men came to respect her and her work. The Author's Note does explain more so, again, I feel the story itself is more for the early elementary crowd. I also share the frustration of another reviewer who felt annoyed that the author leaves off the story proper with a glorious illustration implying Beatrice and her husband are flying off together in their own plane. The author's note says that Beatrice and her husband never did own a plane, though she did learn to fly. I personally didn't feel caught up in the story, but I certainly think it is worthwhile sharing this with young people interested in the history of aviation or trailblazing women. I do appreciate that Rockliff included a list of Sources.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more books about people like this! I'm glad I'm seeing more biographies for all ages (children though specifically) that triumph the feats of women and minorities that have traditionally been left out of mainstream history. Beatrice Shilling was the Girl Who Could Fix Anything-- born in 1909 in England, she used her pocket money to buy hand tools rather than sweets or other things children might buy, establishing from the get-go that she 'wasn't like the others' (a theme that is repeated throughout the book). By the time she was a young woman, the world was at war and England was in the forefront of a great deal of action. Beatrice's story plunges on as she joins the war effort, defying gender norms and policies in the field she was passionate about, and ultimately solving one of the RAE's most challenging aircraft issues of the time.
The book as a whole is keenly informational and the illustrations are lovely. The pacing was a little off, as if editing the story caused it to be choppy at some parts (for example when she was working on the aircraft fuel problem and then all the sudden it was over and the story jumped to her family life and husband). The notes at the end are good for filling in some of the gaps, however.

**Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing a copy of this title to SWON Library Consortium for professional review.**

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although she doesn't have ALL the tools yet, my younger granddaughter uses any cast-off bit she can find in order to build things! She will love this book about a long-ago girl who loved tools more than candy, never stopped building and fixing and honoring her passion, although, as Mara Rockliff's story of Beatrice Shilling tells, she often "wasn't quite like other students" or motorcycle racers, or graduates. She was a woman, NOT a man. Rockliff shares the continual accomplishments of Shilling all the way through her World War II creation that created a "fix" for the Spitfires and Hurricanes in their fights over London. In their hasty moves, the engines often stopped. It was something that would take time and money to re-do those engines, but Beatrice created the answer that worked and was only a small attachment to be done. Daniel Duncan's illustrations with their fine lines and a myriad of characters and background details enliven this already exciting story. There is more fascinating information in the author's note. Sadly, even with her continuing accomplishments, she was never given a top-post!
Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copy.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about a female airplane engineer in WWII, I wasn't familiar with her before. I'm reading it aloud to 4th-6th graders for a quick growth mindset refresher.
When I do a read-aloud, I read it to fifteen different classes. I get pretty good at knowing which parts to emphasize and which parts to pause and explain or ask questions. For this book, I started skipping the last two pages because they seem so awkward. If the story is about:
✔️ Beatrice's contributions as an airplane engineer, and
✔️ the fact that she was a woman doing this work at a time when that was uncommon...

then it's odd to end the book on the fact that she and George didn't want kids and bought a plane instead. Mostly because in the back matter, the author says they never did buy a plane!
It seems that the point being made is that Beatrice was once again bucking tradition by not having kids - and I get it - but I wish that wasn't the end of the story. You can tell me she didn't have kids by telling me what she did with the rest of the career instead of implying they bought a plane when they actually didn't.

[Diane D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year I've read several children's books based on true stories of women who have done great things but, may have not gotten the recognition they deserved.

In this book Beatrice Schilling was a British woman whose mechanical expertise set her apart from her peers. She was able to convince the Royal Aircraft Establishment to let her prove her abilities by solving a fighter plane engine fuel issue during World War II. Her early interest in anything mechanical and her quick ability to learn and try new things enabled her to attend and study engineering at the university and build confidence and hone her skills.

As a grandmother to (3) young girls, I love books that encourage young girls to try new things and to foster an interest in technology and the sciences. Thins is the type of story that builds confidence and lets young girls see that they too can pursue their dreams if they just persist. This book has terrific illustrations and a great story. It is the type of book that would make a great addition to school and public libraries or personal collections.

[Charlotte S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beatrice Shilling wasn't like other girls. She loved to build things and figure out how mechanical objects worked. She could make anything! When Beatrice got older and started to study engineering, she knew it wouldn't be easy because she was a girl. But that didn't stop her! She tried to persuade companies to give her a chance, and finally, the Royal Aircraft Establishment said yes! With war breaking out, will Beatrice be able to improve plane engines and help Britain win the war?

I loved learning about Beatrice Shilling and got sucked into her story from the first page of the book!

Mara Rockliff is an awesome author, and I've read tons of her books!
Daniel Duncan's illustrations are so amazing! We checked out all of his books from our local library and loved them!
I really hope you love this book as much as I do! Thank you for reading my review! Follow @bronteandwilder on Instagram for fun book reviews!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beatrice likes to make things, and fix things and take things apart. As a young woman, she got a job working as an apprentice engineer. She was good, and her employer suggested she study at University. She also liked racing, and was faster on her motorcycle than the men were. But, after graduation, she had trouble finding work because she was a woman. Finally she got a job with the Royal Aircraft Establishment where she worked on planes used for fighting in WWII.

I love these picture book biographies which highlight people like Beatrice Shilling. Her adaptations to the British Fighter planes saved lives. She was groundbreaking and remarkable. Duncan's illustrations are perfect, expressing the time period as well as the characters. I'm excited to include "The Girl Who Could Fix Anything" in my biography section.

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beatrice wasn’t like other children. She could make anything and fix anything. And when she took a thing apart, she put it back together better than before. Her daring and skill earned her an engineering apprenticeship, mentors, a scholarship and eventually a degree. But she still had to fight her way into a career that made the most of her gifts. Her unique skill and perspective was needed during the darkest days of World War 2, when British fighter planes would stall out in the middle of battle. Find out how Beatrice solved an engine puzzle and helped win the war. An author's note provides a lot more information and selected sources.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A picture book biography of Beatrice Shilling. A woman who had a knack for tinkering since she was small, a motorcycle racer, and science-minded inventor who went into the field of engineering when that was very uncommon for women. Shilling was the person during WWII who solved the problem of engines stalling out in fighter planes.

This was a fascinating picture book biography of a woman who wasn't afraid to be a little bit different, and had a brilliant engineering mind. Rockliff's text is done so cleverly, it made me smirk the way she worded things. The illustrations fit the tone perfectly. Now I need to go find a longer biography on this amazing woman in STEM.

[Carly Pipkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows Beatrice, a girl who is not like other girls. Beatrice is a smart and ambitious girl in a world that is dominated by men. She works very hard and goes to college and becomes and engineer. She marries a man who supports her ambition. A war breaks out and the military needs advice from engineers so Beatrice helps to solve the problems. She fixes issues with planes and saves many people.

This is a great story to show young kids that girls can accomplish great things! This is based on a true story and can help encourage girls to pursue their ambitions even if they run into obstacles.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done biography of Beatrice Shilling for elementary level readers. We see her life from childhood through World War II and beyond. This is a look at how difficult it was for a woman to break barriers and work for a career in engineering. Rockliff shares the challenges and also shows Shilling's perseverance and successes.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story about another impressive lady in STEM that you have probably never heard of before. It is well paced, with a nice refrain that works well when reading this aloud. Beatrice Shilling's story is inspiring and interesting and perfect for any girls who have dreams of tools or just love to do what they are told they cannot.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about Beatrice Shilling and the strides she made even in the face of blatant discrimination.
Love the story of her solving the problem that everyone THOUGHT was about the engine not getting enough fuel and she figured out that the problem was that it was getting too much that was the problem.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Beatrice Shilling before, but what an interesting (and frustrating) life she had! Any child who wants to go into STEM needs to read this book for inspiration. It's also a great lesson for children because Beatrice Shilling clearly should have been a leader in her field and because she was a woman she never achieved that kind of position.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5- Utterly fascinating! Beatrice was amazing. I loved this story from top to bottom! The only thing keeping it from a full five stars is that it didn't include any real photos of Beatrice. I'm a huge fan of the illustration style and the tone of the story. It sucked me in and wouldn't let go until after the author's note.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the telling of the problem-solving with the engine here!

There was some more information about the other women engineers who helped her in the backmatter, but I would have been interested in more of that. (Especially given how much of the book was built around a "not like other people" refrain.)

[Adri is Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids (10 year old) especially enjoyed this book - they had me read it to them twice, including the back matter. It's very nicely written and shows both the intelligence and impact Beatrice Shilling had as well as the misogyny she faced.

[Y.Poston]

Well done bio and very interesting and engaging story.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tilly Shilling, an early female engineer.