Mazeika, Katie. Annette Feels Free. Beach Lane Books, 2022. 978-1-665-90343-1. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Annette Feels Free introduces the reader to Annette Kellerman, a woman from Australia who went on to break many swimming records as well as swimming stereotypes. Annette was given leg braces when she was younger, due to her legs being weak. The leg braces caused Annette to stop dancing; therefore, her dad introduced her to swimming. Annette went on to become the first woman to swim across the English Channel. She wanted to wear swimming suits closer to what the men wore, so they would be less cumbersome around her legs. Annette ended up going to court over her bathing suit choices, and she won! She was able to create a type of suit that was called the “Annette Kellerman,” and women all over began wearing the less restrictive bathing suits. At the end of the book, there is an author’s note regarding how the author’s journey feels parallel to Annette’s journey. There is also a decent biography about Annette, going into more detail with certain aspects of her life.

THOUGHTS: This a great elementary addition to any collection, and would be a great read aloud for when the Summer Olympics come around. 

Picture Book          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy
Biography