The Value of Fairness: The Story of Nellie Bly

In this installment of the ValueTales series, Ann Donegan Johnson teaches us the value of fairness by examining the life of Nellie Bly (1867-1922). Nellie Bly was a top reporter for a Pittsburg newspaper. When she tried to get a job as a reporter in New York, many newspapers turned her down because she was a woman. She convinced Joseph Pulitzer, the owner of a leading newspaper, to let her write a story about the poor care that the mentally ill received in New York. To do this, she pretended to have a mental illness and was locked away. Her story was a success. Not only was she hired as a reporter, but she was able to improve care for the mentally ill. Like other books in the ValueTales series, this book uses a real-life person to exemplify an important value. It is suitable for reading by children in the later elementary school grades. A "Historical Facts" section at the book's end summarizes Bly's life in a single-page bio form suitable for adults. Closing quote: "Nellie was very happy, and not only because she had won her race against time. She was happy because she knew that many people would now be treated more fairly because of what she had accomplished as a newspaper reporter. Think about it. Then ask yourself how fair you are in the way you treat others. Do you believe that fairness is important? Do you think it could make your life happier, too?" (p. 62)