by Marissa Moss and Andrea U’Ren
Tricycle Press, $16.99, 32 pages
As a young girl, Ida loves the sea. She helps her father tend the Lime Rock lighthouse on the coast of Rhode Island. As she gets older, Ida learns everything about running a lighthouse and saving the lives of sailors in danger. When her father becomes ill, it is a teenager, Ida who must rescue four boys caught in the churning sea. Does she have what it takes to be a hero?
In her book The Bravest Woman in America, Marissa Moss tells the story of Ida Lewis, the most famous lighthouse keeper in America. Award winning illustrator Andrea U’Ren creates stunning pictures using watercolor, ink, and acrylic on paper. U’Ren captures each stage on Ida’s life as she matures into a brave young woman. Especially noteworthy are U’Ren’s illustrations of the stormy seas. An author’s note provides more important information on Ida’s life. She was the only woman to be honored for bravery as an individual by Congress. For 39 years Ida was the keeper of Lime Rock. She officially saved eighteen lives. New readers, especially young girls, need access to books about strong female role models. Ida’s work as a lighthouse keeper shows boys and girls that women have a place in even the most unconventional jobs.
Kathryn “Danger” Franklin