  | Swim team Author: Christmas, Johnnie | |
| Price: $21.18 | ||
Summary:
Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees--until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help. In graphic novel format.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 2.60 Points: 1.0 Quiz: 515837 |
Awards:
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, 2023
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (03/15/22)
School Library Journal (00/04/22)
Booklist (+) (04/15/22)
The Hornbook (00/07/22)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 04/01/2022 Gr 3–6—When Bree's father takes a coding job in Florida, the two move cross-country and Bree's world is turned upside-down. Away from her friends, in a town obsessed with the local swim teams, Bree struggles to find her safe space among the mathematics classes and clubs. The lack of space in her desired elective classes lands her in the worst possible situation: swimming class. Unable to swim and grasping for excuses to avoid class, Bree begins drowning in anxiety and self-doubt. However, when her older neighbor Etta takes an interest in teaching her how to swim, things begin to turn around for Bree. Filled with vibrant illustrations and charming characters, this title tackles themes ranging from overcoming fear and forging friendships to grappling with classism and racism as the public school swim team competes with the private school team equipped with more resources to prepare for the season. The work presents an opportunity for readers to reflect on both typical childhood issues as well as the systemic issues the United States has faced for centuries such as the lack of access to pools and resources for Black athletes. Rich with images and references to Black culture, this text will serve as a mirror and window for readers. Bree, her father, and Etta are Black. VERDICT A fresh companion to Jerry Craft's New Kid, this graphic novel belongs on shelves in school and libraries everywhere.—Angie Jameson - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 04/15/2022 *Starred Review* Middle-schooler Bree and her hard-working dad make the move from Brooklyn to Palmetto Shores, FL, where she discovers that swim-team culture is huge. The problem: Bree can’t swim. At first, she avoids swim class, her anxiety pulling her down every moment, until finally she gets a helpful paddling hand from her new neighbor Ms. Etta, a woman with her own troubled swim-team history. As Bree heads toward the state championships, her circle of teammates and competitors widens; the plot twists; and enemies, friends, and even those closest to her turn out to have surprisingly complicated motivations. This is an exciting and suspenseful sports story, something American comics has a long-standing dearth of. It’s also a powerful, knowledgeable, and pressing exploration of the intersection where swimming meets Black identity, from the racist history of public pools to the necessity of maintaining a water-friendly hairstyle. Empowerment through swimming and swim team is well-embodied in Bree, a smart, perseverant, anxious kid who readers will embrace instantly. The friendly and familiar style of Christmas' linework pours out into some true artistry: the disorientation and wonder as Bree discovers the underwater world and the dread-inducing design of her inner-anxiety’s speech balloons, which sink away to oblivion as Bree outswims them and leaves her fears behind. This will make a splash with fans of Raina Telgemeier's memoir comics. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
