She Persisted: Nellie Bly

She Persisted

by Michelle Knudsen, Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)

Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds!

In this chapter book biography by New York Times bestselling author Michelle Knudsen, readers learn about the amazing life of Nellie Bly--and how she persisted . 

Nellie Bly was a journalist and one of the first investigative reporters ever. She went undercover to expose wrongdoing and famously raced around the world so she could write about the experience for her newspaper. Reaching for her dreams wasn't easy. But Nellie never gave up, no matter how many obstacles she faced--and she helped others along the way.

Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Nellie Bly's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.

And don’t miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Clara Lemlich, Sonia Sotomayor, and more!

Praise for She Nellie Bly :

"A fast read, sure to engage transitioning independent readers or older reluctant reader [as well as] more sophisticated readers . . . A likable, meaningful addition to the She Persisted collection." -- Kirkus Reviews

"This welcome installment of the series will captivate an audience of varying reading levels with a fast pace, accessible language, and adventurous storytelling." -- School Library Journal

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Biography Memoir, Childrens, Picture Books

80 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2021

About the author

Michelle Knudsen is a Nebula Award–winning and New York Times best-selling author of more than 50 books for young readers and a writer of speculative short fiction for adults. Her titles include the picture book Library Lion (Time magazine's 100 Best Children's Books of All Time) and the novels The Dragon of Trelian (VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers) and Evil Librarian (YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults; Sid Fleischman Humor Award). Her most recent books are the middle grade novel Into the Wild Magic (2025 Andre Norton Nebula Award) and the YA webcomic novelization Cursed Princess Club: Mirror, Mirror. A lifelong musical theater lover, Michelle is thrilled that two of her books (Library Lion and Evil Librarian) have now been made into musicals! Visit her website for more information and upcoming performance dates. Michelle lives in Brooklyn, New York. Find her on Instagram @michelle.knudsen, on Bluesky @michelleknudsen.bsky.social, or at michelleknudsen.com.

Reviews

[Aubrey Bass]

Short, well written, and educational. Just the way I like my children's books! It might be silly to have read this, but I wanted to read more about Nellie Bly without committing to a large novel. This was the perfect amount to satiate my curiosity!

[Alyssa Nicosia]

Pretty good book, decent amount of words, and helpful information. I just wasn’t long enough of a book. I recommend for 3rd graders and 4th graders to read.

[Severin]

it's an awesome book that helped me understand the challenge's Nelly Bly faced and how she changed the world .

[JenBsBooks]

Setting up a Little Free Library and gathering books for it, has introduced me to so many books I might not have read otherwise. That is the case here. I found a few "She Persisted" books at a local library sale. As they are a quick read (and I was able to snag audio from the library) I figured I'd familiarize myself with this book, and the series, before offering it up in my LFL.

So I guess there originally this little series started out a picture book, and that Nellie Bly was actually featured in that first book. While I have been nudged to check out some picture books, I haven't done that (yet?) with the original picture book and it's follow-ups. Apparently then, the series was expanded into small chapter books from other authors.

Well I have to give a thumbs up to the whole thing - just like the Magic Treehouse introduces kids to historical times, and the I Survived series showcases scary moments, this series does quick biographies of women who have made a name for themselves.

In truth - the name Nellie Bly didn't feel familiar to me. As I went through her life via the book, I had heard of some of the situations, but I think THIS book will stick with me more than wherever I heard tidbits of Bly's life before. While this isn't profound literature, it's written in an easy to read way. I appreciated the list of references at the end.

One of my pet peeves is the lack of a Table of Contents in physical books ... KUDOS here, it has a table of contents! The OCD in me just likes to be able to see at a glance how many chapters there are, if there are chapter headings (and here there are) especially if those headings actually help indicate what is covered in each chapter. Again, here they do. (1) Pink (2) The Girl Puzzle (3) Newspaper Dreams (4) Going Undercover (5) Around the World (6) More Surprises ... and How You Can Persist.

That last chapter seems to be in each book, but pointed toward similar things as the woman showcased (so here, joining your school newspaper, keep a journal, start a scrapbook, etc).

This also is good at featuring the other books in the series, and the other contributors.

I was glad to have stumbled upon this series, familiarized myself more with Nellie Bly, and definitely would recommend this, especially to young girls.

[Barbara]

As a former investigative reporter I've always been interested in Nellie Bly and her journalism career. This chapter book inspired by the She Persisted picture book series, take readers back in time to her early years and some of the disappointments she experienced due to family finances and problems. Even though she had to quit school, she didn't let that hold her back, boldly writing a letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch after a column disparaging women in the workplace appeared. Her writing brought her attention, a new job, and a new name. Eventually she became a reporter for the New York World where she went undercover in an asylum and traveled around the world in 72 days, sending dispatches to the newspaper every step of the way. She continued her writing career while marrying a much-older man and taking over her husband's manufacturing business after his death. It's clear from the text that the author is an admirer of Nellie Bly, a groundbreaker in so many ways and one about whom today's readers need to know. The author has included some suggestions for how readers can use Nellie's example for their own lives and persist in reaching their own goals, no matter the naysayers.

[Ellon]

Even though Nellie Bly was mentioned in the picture book She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, it didn't make enough of an impact for me to remember why she was important (I recognized the name but that's it). It was nice to read a little more about her (and hopefully it'll stick this time). The beginning of the book was a little dry and hard to me to get into but after 1/3 of it, I was hooked and I wanted to find out more about Bly's interesting life. The book ends a bit abruptly.
This is a decent series for kids that are ready for a bit more than a picture book about a famous woman.

[Rubi]

Learned!

I had never heard about Nellie Bly before! I may have heard the asylum story in passing during school but WOW! She did SO much more 🤩
This woman amazes me. Her mother set an example of doing what was best for her family by divorcing a husband who did ill by her. So when Nellie saw an article condemning woman who work for themselves and aren't stay at home mothers, it angers her. What did she do? She DID SOMETHING about it! She wrote a response and someone LISTENED!
Pretty soon she was on route to become a journalist, writing all kinds of things and about many issues. She even traveled the world! And just like her mother, if a company didn't treat her right, she left, fighting for equal pay!
Her story was inspirational 🤩
Her work made an impact. Love who these books also give baby steps on how we can also make an impact or at least educate ourselves more 😁

[Shelli]

The She Persisted mini chapter book biography series are perfect for elementary and intermediate age students interested in learning about the featured person for an assignment or just for an informative read about important women in history. This edition about Nellie Bly, is my favorite so far. The author, Michelle Knudsen, did a fantastic job of infusing a lot in interesting information about the fearless reporter and created what every non-fiction book for children should be: a launching pad to make students want to learn even more.

[Joanne Roberts]

Always a fan of Nellie Bly stories, I was eager to see how this series would handle the subject. Knudsen does a bang-up job keeping the narrative flowing, leaning on the theme, and reporting the facts in an age-appropriate yet entertaining manner. I was immensely disappointed by the illustration: Normally Gillian's Flint's work is addicting. But her drawings in this book were bland, lending a sense they were terribly rushed and unedited. (blame it on covid?) The backmatter was surprisingly informative. So far I can heartily recommend this series of biographies for young readers.

[Michelle]

What a great introduction to Nellie Bly! If you don't know her story she was an undercover reporter that wrote about the issues that mattered to her including mental health, women's rights, and social justice. This title and others in the series challenge the reader at the end in ways they too can persist! Perfect non-fiction for early chapter book readers.

[Kristen M.]

A new biography series featuring notable women in history similar to the popular Who Was/Who Is series. I love the 'nevertheless, she persisted' feminist tagline - adopted and wrested from Mitch McConnell during the contentious Senate confirmation hearing of Jeff Sessions in 2017 - as Elizabeth Warren boldly continued to object.

[Jennifer]

Another in the She Persisted series, this one describes the challenges Nellie Bly faced to become a reporter. Knudsen does a nice job explaining how journalism has changed, and how Nellie's undercover reporting helped highlight atrocities in mental institutes and factories. She also traveled around the world. A bit thinner than the last one I read, but still a good introduction.

[Pam]

Another biography in the She Persisted series. Knudsen shares about Bly from her childhood through her journalism career and beyond. She writes clearly to show the trials and challenges Bly faced. Readers see her overcome these issues and persevere. I love the suggestions included at the end for readers to push their own boundaries.

[Karen]

I never knew! I had heard the name growing up but had not discovered why she had any importance. What an eye opener! Perhaps we have bought into the press that says women were relegated to the home. I have certainly read a number of books lately about women who made incredible contributions to society. Nellie is one. This little book is great. Read it.

[Hailey Bruce]

I read this book with my fourth graders and then had the opportunity to listen the author talk for Young Author’s Day at my school. I learned so much and the kids enjoyed the book! It’s a simple, quick read but plenty interesting and would appeal to many kids in upper elementary!

[LeAnn L Morgan]

As I walked through the Wordsmith Bookshoppe with my grandchildren this book caught my eye. I purchased two ‘She Persisted’ books & after reading the fascinating story of Nellie Bly, I intend to get the whole series to read then pass to my grandkids💙. These are awesome little books!

[Jennifer]

Obviously there are a lot of topics to unpack about Nellie Bly's short, but eventful life. However, this does a good job summarizing her life and career for children, and providing a springboard to discuss topics such as sexism, domestic violence, and journalistic integrity, among others. 

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Ruth]

Boy I sure do love that Nellie Bly, so there really wasn't any way I wasn't going to love this. The art is great, as it is for this entire series.

[Book Buying With Katie]

Cool series. Wish I had had these as a kid.

[Elaine Fultz, kinda retired librarian]

Smart marketing and much-needed bios of women many of our students haven't heard of. OR new info that the pb bios don't include.

[Barbara Lovejoy]

Great book! I learned so much I didn't know. I want to read more about her and her experiences.

[T]

An informative little book was written to motivate young women to understand that determination and persistence will carry them far in life.

[Alisa]

Concise, succinct account of Nellie Bly's life from birth to death.

[Ginger Poulsen]

I guess it’s pretty good for a kids’ book. Nellie Bly is fascinating.

[Desi Kennedy]

I am really enjoying this series of She Persisted. I have read several juvenile accounts of Nellie Bly, but I really enjoyed this and learned a few new things!

[Linda]

Excellent book about the life of reporter Nellie Bly; all the hardships she faced and all the daring adventures she went on. Very encouraging. Good for children to read. Illustrations were wonderful.

[Rene Del Bosque Moncayo]

Ella fue una reportera encubierta que publicó muchos momentos difíciles

[Teresa]

Another strong and brave woman in history I knew nothing about until this short story. Happy Women's History month!

[Jessie]

Super cute and informational!