STROKE & SOAR

Long before roads, wheels or sails, there was the paddle.

STROKE & SOAR! is Book 8 of the Little Champions series. It takes children aged 8-12 out onto the water, from 10,000-year-old dugout canoes and the great Pacific voyages to the Olympic regatta, the white-water slalom course and the thundering drumbeat of a dragon boat race.

Paddle sports are special because they take you into nature instead of onto a pitch or court. This colourful, fact-packed handbook explains how boats float, how rivers flow and how the rowing stroke and the kayak roll really work. Above all, it teaches the safety habits every young paddler needs. Everything is written in clear, friendly language that children can read on their own or share with a grown-up.

Inside, young champions will discover:

• The story of paddling, from the Pesse canoe and Greek triremes to the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race and Olympic Kayak Cross

• Every kind of craft explained: sea and white-water kayaks, open canoes, rowing shells, dragon boats, SUP boards and outriggers

• Paddles and oars, buoyancy aids, helmets, wetsuits and drysuits

• The Young Paddler's Safety Code, cold water shock, the wet exit and "If in doubt, get out"

• How to read water: currents, eddies, the V, standing waves, holes, tides and the International River Grading Scale

• Rowing: sculling and sweep boats, the role of the cox, and the four phases of the perfect stroke

• Kayaking: sprint, slalom, Kayak Cross, the basic strokes and how the kayak roll works

• Canoeing: the parts of a canoe, the J-stroke, portages and wilderness trips

• Dragon boats, stand-up paddleboarding, outrigger va'a, canoe polo and more

• How paddling builds strength, balance and fitness, and the science of "Blue Mind", the calm that being near water brings

• The inspiring true stories of Olympic legends Birgit Fischer and Jess Fox

Packed with hands-on learning:

• 10 Chapter Challenge pages

• TRY THIS! activities, including a foil boat experiment, the rowing stroke on land, a J-stroke in a bowl, a SUP balance challenge and a Blue Mind test

• SCIENCE boxes on Archimedes' Principle, smooth and turbulent flow, push and glide, and the physics of the roll

• WATER SAFETY and NATURE WATCH! boxes that build lifelong good habits and a love of wild places

• A 10-step Paddle Sports Starter Plan, a 59-word glossary, a 17-star Champion Star Chart and a Little Champion certificate

Perfect for children heading to their first taster session, summer camp or family canoe trip, young fans of Olympic rowing and canoeing, classroom and homeschool learning, and every reader collecting the Little Champions series.

Push away from the bank. The water is waiting.