ISBN 1-58415-477-2 90000 9

781584 154778 Mitchell Lane PUBLISHERS Copyright © 2007 by Mitchell Lane Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

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A Robbie Reader/What’s So Great About . . . ? Anne Frank Annie Oakley Christopher Columbus Daniel Boone Ferdinand Magellan Francis Scott Key Galileo George Washington Carver Henry Hudson Jacques Cartier Johnny Appleseed Robert Fulton Sam Houston

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Whiting, Jim, 1943– Annie Oakley / by Jim Whiting. p. cm. — (A Robbie Reader. What’s so great about . . . ?) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-58415-477-2 (library bound) 1. Oakley, Annie, 1860–1926. 2. Shooters of firearms—United States—Biography— Juvenile literature. 3. Women entertainers—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. GV1157.O3W45 2007 799.3092—dc22 2006006114 ISBN-13: 9781584154778

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jim Whiting has been a remarkably versatile and accomplished journalist, writer, editor, and photographer for more than 30 years. He has written and edited about 200 nonfiction children’s books. His subjects range from authors to zoologists and include contemporary pop icons and classical musicians, saints and scientists, emperors and explorers. Representative titles include The Life and Times of Franz Liszt, The Life and Times of Julius Caesar, Charles Schulz, Charles Darwin and the Origin of the Species, Juan Ponce de Leon, Robert Fulton, and The Scopes Monkey Trial. He lives in Washington State with his wife and two teenage sons.

PHOTO CREDITS: Cover—Getty Images; pp. 1, 3, 14, 16, 20, 24—Library of Congress; p. 4— Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, P.69.961, detail; p. 6—Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, Vincent Mercaldo Collection, P.71.368.3, detail; p. 8—Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, P.69.1161, detail; p. 12—Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, Vincent Mercaldo Collection, P.71.362.1, detail; p. 18—Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, Gift of D.F. Barry, P.69.2125, detail; p. 22—Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, Gift of Guthrie L. and Euradean Moses Dowler, the great niece of Annie Oakley, P.69.1594, detail; p. 10—Sharon Beck; p. 26—The Sculpture Center.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The following story has been thoroughly researched and to the best of our knowledge represents a true story. While every possible effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data, and makes no warranty on the accuracy of the information contained herein.

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Annie Oakley pr#2 2 12/20/07, 11:06 AM TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One A Shooting Match...... 5

Chapter Two A Difficult Childhood ...... 9

Chapter Three Starting Out...... 13

Chapter Four Becoming Famous ...... 17

Chapter Five Later Life ...... 23

Chronology ...... 28 Timeline in History...... 29 Find Out More ...... 30 Books ...... 30 Works Consulted ...... 30 On the Internet ...... 30 Glossary...... 31 Index ...... 32

Words in bold type can be found in the glossary.

Annie Oakley pr#2 3 12/20/07, 11:06 AM CHAPTER ONE

A Shooting Match

Frank Butler knew his way around guns. He made his living traveling around the country and entering contests. Local people challenged him to shooting matches. He always won. One day in 1881, he was in Greenville, Ohio. The people he met there said their local shooter was very good. They wanted to set up a contest. Frank accepted. He felt confident that he would win again. However, the men who organized the contest left out one detail about his opponent. Frank said, “I almost dropped dead when a little slim girl in short dresses stepped out to the mark with me.”

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Frank Butler was one of the country’s top marksmen when he met Annie. The two were almost inseparable from the start.

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Annie Oakley pr#2 6 12/20/07, 11:06 AM A SHOOTING MATCH His other opponents had been men. This new rival was very tiny. She was only about five feet tall. Frank lost. “I was a beaten man the moment she appeared for I was taken off guard,” he said later. He said the final score was 23 to 21. For the young woman, that shooting match was the start of a public career that would last for more than 40 years. She became one of the most famous women in the world. Her name was Annie Oakley.

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