The Bravest Woman in America

July 2011

Ida Lewis loved everything about the sea, so when her father became the official keeper of Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island, she couldn’t imagine anything better. Throughout the years, Ida shadowed her father as he tended the lighthouse, listening raptly to his stories about treacherous storms, drowning sailors, and daring rescues. Under her father’s watchful eye, she learned to polish the lighthouse lens so the light would shine bright. She learned to watch the sea for any sign of trouble. And, most importantly, she learned to row. Ida felt ready for anything – and she was.

Junior Library Guild Selection 2010

Amelia Bloomer Project’s Recommended Titles List for 2012

Semi-finalist for the Irma Black Bank Street College 2012 Best Picture Book Award

Wall Street Journal “In Marissa Moss’s telling, and with Andrea U’Ren’s rich, color-soaked illustrations, Ida’s good cheer, moxie and resourcefulness evoke the work ethic of her time as much as her own intrepidness.” Read the whole review here: Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2011, A Strong Woman Who Saved Lives