“Violent storms, numbing cold, exhaustion, leg cramps, painful jellyfish stings and ongoing fears about sharks” have (understandably) deterred scores of swimmers from crossing the English Channel. But not Trudy, who by 1926 has already set dozens of records in women’s swimming events. On this, her second attempt to cross the waterway, she is determined to be the first woman to succeed. During her remarkable journey, Trudy “dodges chunks of driftwood” and “slimy, poisonous jellyfish hurled at her by the waves.” She rests only to snack on chicken legs and a bottle of broth delivered to her in a net from an accompanying boat. She braves choppy water and is forced to adjust her course, adding five miles to her route. Finally, after 14 hours and 39 minutes, she emerges on a beach in England, triumphant. Detailed, realistic illustrations add drama and urgency to the already exciting story of an impressive woman athlete. (Ages 5-9)

On the morning of August 6, 1926, Gertrude Ederle stood in her bathing suit on the beach at Cape Gris-Nez, France, and faced the churning waves of the English Channel. Twenty-one miles across the perilous waterway, the English coastline beckoned. Lyrical text, stunning illustrations and fascinating back matter put the reader right alongside Ederle in her bid to be the first woman to swim the Channel—and contextualizes her record-smashing victory as a defining moment in sports history. Time line, bibliography, source notes.