;)
The Radio Girls on the Program
Published in 1922, this second volume in the series is typical of Stratemeyer’s consistent attention to emerging technologies; leveraging the excitement generated by such advances, he constructed his girl protagonists as near-experts in these new fields (just as he did for the protagonists in his series for boys). Radio girls Jessie, Amy, and their friends not only participate in broadcast performances in a time when receiving “sounds from the air” was still an amazing concept to most readers, they have also mastered the mechanics of transmission. Readers are brought “behind the scenes” and given the sense that they too can understand the mysterious and modern manipulation of the airwaves. At a turning point in the narrative, the girls’ ability to repair equipment, adjust porcelain insulators, and rewire aerials proves crucial. By the end of the book, in line with the Progressive Era’s interest in social awareness, a benefit radio performance serves as a grand finale, bringing in much-needed funds for a local Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
When listening in on a thrilling recitation or a superb concert number who of us has not longed to “look behind the scenes” to see how it was done? – Cupples & Leon, Publishers, advertising blurb. - AJP