Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Swim Team

This was fantastic! I loved the way that history was woven into this story. Bree's confidence grows throughout the book; she meets an amazing new friend group who also helps her. But of course, they're not without the typical turbulence of middle school friendships. It also felt so realistic and well written.

The art was also great! It felt reminiscent of New Kid by Jerry Craft, and middle graders who love that will definitely love this one as well!

Content Warnings

emily_mh's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Oooo this was so good! My ONE criticism is that because the book was covering a relatively large swath of time and many events, some parts felt a little rushed. Apart from that, I loved this book and want everyone to read it!!

First of all the colour palette was so well done, especially in the art of the MC's apartment building; it felt very "Floridian" which enhanced the sense of place. The character development was also spot on. Every character has a thoughtful and well-executed arc. My favourites were of course Bree's (learning to swim) and Ms. Etta's (reconnecting with her swim sisters - the introduction of this part was really clever!). Also, this book made me really miss swimming! I just want to jump in a pool now.

Finally, and most importantly, I really appreciated being taught about the reason why there is the racist stereotype of "Black people can't swim." It added a whole other layer of significance to the story and filled a massive gap in my knowledge.

Content Warnings

noyastan's review

Go to review page

funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

kayladaila's review

Go to review page

hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy!

When Bree moves to Florida, she is unwillingly placed in a swimming elective class, but she can’t swim. After her neighbor teaches her, Bree goes on to join the swim team and make friends. This book was great! The story is well paced, the characters are well developed, and the art is so bright and fun. Bree’s anxiety and self-doubt and the way they disappear when she swims was done in a way that could only be visual and it was neat! There’s a small history flashback to address the stereotype that black people can’t swim, and it’s included seamlessly without feeling too heavy handed. I think my students would love this book the same way they devour Raina Telgemeier.

Content Warnings

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

pucksandpaperbacks's review

Go to review page

inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I received an e-copy through Net Galley via the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

Content warnings: Anxiety, Intrusive Thoughts, Medical Content (Trip to the Dentist), Bullying

This was a great debut middle grade graphic novel about a girl, Bree who moves to Florida from New York for her father's new job. We see a single Black father raising a Black girl and we learn about the history of Black people and swimming plus, how segregation affected who went to public swimming pools. Since Bree loves math and puzzles, there are many puzzle references, especially in the illustrations. When the Math Puzzles class is full, she is forced to take Swim 101 but she can't swim. Bree's anxiety and fear drive her to skip class until Ms. Etta, their neighbor and a swimming champion teaches her to swim. As a former swimmer, (I was not good lol) this brought back memories of my swimming days and I thought the way swimming was written and illustrated was very realistic, especially hitting on the note of how community-oriented the sport is.

I loved how the anxiety and intrusive thoughts were written into the story as Bree learns to knock the thoughts down. This is an important book about friendship and teamwork. Really enjoyed it!

However, please read reviews from Black reviewers when the book is released.

Content Warnings

thesaltiestlibrarian's review

Go to review page

funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Johnnie Christmas has absolutely killed it with this graphic novel. Not only do we get to see a healthy and touching father-daughter relationship, we get positive female friendships and sports and girls who don't have to choose between being smart and being athletic.

Bree and her father are moving to Florida, where a better opportunity for his career--and furthering his training--can be had for a decent chunk o' change. Bree is dead set on joining the math team at her new school, but when she goes to sign up for it, every slot is filled. Instead, nudged by the new friend at school who lives in her building, she joins the swim team. Here's the kicker: she can't swim.

I just loved this so much. Every character had a distinct voice and bearing, and the plot hit each mark as it progressed. Not to mention the color palette, style, and expressions on the people were just fantastic. We have so many patrons here who would fall in love with SWIM TEAM, and I can't wait to get it into their hands when we get our copy!

Content Warnings

More...