The Girl Who Could Fix Anything
Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer
Candlewick Press, September 2021
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Beatrice
Shilling wasn’t quite like other children. She could make anything. She
could fix anything. And when she took a thing apart, she put it back
together better than before.
When Beatrice left home to study engineering, she knew that as a girl
she wouldn’t be quite like the other engineers—and she wasn’t. She was
better. Still, it took hard work and perseverance to persuade the Royal
Aircraft Establishment to give her a chance. But when World War II
broke out and British fighter pilots took to the skies in a desperate
struggle for survival against Hitler’s bombers, it was clearly time for
new ideas. Could Beatrice solve an engine puzzle and help Britain win
the war?
American author Mara Rockliff and British
illustrator Daniel Duncan team up for a fresh look at a turning point
in modern history—and the role of a remarkable woman whose ingenuity,
persistence, and way with a wrench (or spanner) made her quite unlike
anyone else.
This true story of a woman whose brilliance and mechanical expertise
helped Britain win World War II is sure to inspire STEM readers and fans
of amazing women in history.
Beatrice
Shilling wasn’t quite like other children. She could make anything. She
could fix anything. And when she took a thing apart, she put it back
together better than before. 