America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle

On August 6, 1926, Gertrude Caroline Ederle - a German-American swimmer born in New York City, and known as "Gertie" to her family, and "Trudy" to her friends - became the sixth person to successfully swim the English Channel, and the first woman to do so. In a time when women were considered the "weaker sex," and newspaper columnists (as well as everyday citizens) opined that women belonged in the home, rather than in the water, Ederle not only succeeded in swimming the Channel, but beat her male predecessors by almost two hours (observers commented that, had the weather not been so unfavorable, and the water so rough, her time would have been four hours shorter). Lauded by President Calvin Coolidge as "America's Best Girl," Ederle was show more given a ticker-tape parade upon her return to New York City.

Obviously, we're not talking about someone who was unknown in their day, or whose achievement was considered insignificant, so if you're wondering why you've never heard of Ederle, don't worry - you're not alone! Until picking up Adler and Widener's picture-book biography - the first title to be devoted to her story, although there have been two subsequent adult books: America's Girl: The Incredible Story of How Swimmer Gertrude Ederle Changed the Nation and Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World - I was also unfamiliar with Ederle. I am glad to have that omission rectified, as hers is an inspirational story, one that has significance for women in sport, but also for an understanding of a particular moment in American history, when records were being broken, and the heroes being lionized by the media weren't just film and music stars, or professional athletes. It's a shame that her story disappeared for so long - although this isn't uncommon with female figures of note, even when their contributions are very significant, and recognized in their day - but I'm glad that it has resurfaced.

America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle is an engaging title, one I recommend to young readers with an interest in swimming or sport, or who enjoy biographies of people who were the "first" in their respective fields, and paved the way for others. Truthfully, I think the narrative is stronger than the artwork (which didn't greatly impress me), but the overall effect is still very appealing! show less

I really enjoyed this story of Gertrude Ederle, America’s “best girl.” An American swimmer who established several world records and beat men’s swimming times during a time period in which women were looked down upon as a lesser sex. The story follows her from her birth, throughout her childhood, and to her most celebrated accomplishment of being the first women to swim the English Channel. I enjoyed the writing style of the author. The story flowed as if it was about a fictional figure, was not boring, and was very engaging for young children. The author provided a lot of information about the swimmer without losing her distinct writing style. The book focused a lot about the support she received from her sister and father show more throughout the story, and it really showed that she received a lot of inspiration from these two figures in her life: “Margaret wrote in chalk on the side of the boat, ‘This way, Ole Kid.’ She drew an arrow that pointed to England.” Finally, I really enjoyed the descriptive pictures. They really supplemented the writing in an effective way to provide further support for the story and it’s events. show less

Heart warming story of success! Beautiful illustrations to pair with a very encouraging/inspiring book about women's rights and journey to prove ourselves worthy of respect across disciplines. The story has innate suspense because of the failed attempt and poor weather so the author had a nice, natural story line to follow.

I enjoyed reading this book for many different reasons. I enjoyed the writing of this book. The information about Gertrude’s life was very informational. The author wrote in a way that kept readers engaged and wanting to learn more about Gertrude’s life. For example, the author wrote, “Trudy did not give up her dream. She found a new trainer, and a year later, on Friday, August 6, 1926, she was ready to try again.” The author wrote in a way that students are left wanting to know if Trudy accomplished her life dream of swimming across the English Canal. The author also had the information flow in an order that would make sense to readers. I also liked the plot of this story. The author described how Trudy learned to swim. Then, show more the author included Trudy’s first attempt to swim the English Canal and then her failed attempt. Finally, the author included how Trudy accomplished her dream and broke many records for that time. The main purpose of this book was to describe life events of the swimmer, Gertrude Ederle. This book also addressed how Gertrude proved people wrong that boys were stronger and more powerful than girls. This book highlighted Gertrude’s life by including her strengths and weaknesses. The details were also appropriate for the audience’s age level. show less

I enjoyed this story very much. The story discusses the importance of diversity and perseverance in something you are passionate about. Gertrude was the first woman to successfully swim across the English Channel, and this is the story about her experience and trials leading up to this experience. Some readers may relate to her struggles in their own way because she experiences prejudice from others. The illustrations are a good guide to help readers follow the story, and the word choice is not very complex for a younger reader. Older readers would be able to understand the challenges she faced and the reasons she faced them, such as sexism and innovation or problem solving in her art. This text was especially effective because it show more included information in the back of the book about what the author did to research the topic for readers that would like extend their knowledge. Overall, it was a great book! show less

Review:
This biography follows the story of Gertrude Ederle, an American swimmer that broke many record, including being the first women to swim across the English Channel in record-breaking time. Additionally, she was a symbol for women's right in the early 20th century.
Critique:
This book is an excellent biography because the author does an excellent job of pulling the audience in and retelling the story of Gertrude in an intriguing fashion. In addition, the author was able to present overate information while utilizing a narrative, story-telling format.
Use:
1. One way to use this text would be to read it aloud during a unit on either the olympics or on athletes through history. Afterwards, the teacher can facilitate a conversation about show more contemporary U.S. female swimmers and how Gertrude Ederle paved a way for those swimmers.
2. Another way to use this text would be to look at the characteristics and culture of Olympic swimming in the time Gertrude was alive. Then students can create a comparison chart between the olympics at the beginning of the 20th century, and the swimming in the most recent Olympic games.
Age Appropriateness: Primary, Intermediate, Middle School
Media: Golden Acrylics on Strathmore Bristol board. show less

This informational book describes Gertrude Ederle’s life growing up and her growing love for swimming. She learned to swim at 7 years old when her father tied a rope around her waist and put her in the water. From then on, Ederle continued swimming and winning competitions. She broke world records, even beating the records of men. She soon became a symbol of strength to women.
Medium: acrylic paint