Published: 2022 Series: N/A Author: Johnnie Christmas Illustrator: Johnnie Christmas
Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Friendship, Childrens, Contemporary, Comics, Juvenile
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 4-12
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: Swim Team
Triggers: Generational trauma, historical segregation/racism, drowning anxiety/phobia
Review By: Sue Kowalski
Publisher’s 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. With Etta’s training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school’s failing team around. But that’s easier said than done, especially when their rival, the prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees in their wake. Can Bree defy the odds and guide her team to a state championship, or have the Manatees swum their last lap—for good?
Review:
This is so amazing! First, the appeal of graphic format for so many is a fit right away. Next, the embedded history as it relates to today’s reality is eye-opening, informative, and powerful. This book easily lends itself to conversations about overcoming one’s fear, about historical racism and its impact on today’s racism, and a look at stereotypes based on race and culture in our world today. The range of conversation could be for younger readers or a more mature audience about topics of history and its impact. Like NEW KID and CLASS ACT and PIECE by PIECE, this is a graphic novel with a high-impact story line.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts / Visual Literacy (Graphic Novel Medium): This high-impact graphic novel acts as a stellar mentor text for teaching visual literacy and sequential art narratives. Middle and high school educators can explore how Christmas utilizes color palettes, panel configurations, and facial expressions to heighten the emotional stakes of competitive sports while making complex historical prose deeply accessible to varied reading levels.
- Social Studies (Jim Crow Laws & Segregated Public Spaces): The narrative beautifully integrates historical real-world data regarding structural racism. Teachers can align this text with civil rights units to analyze how municipal segregation, the denial of public pool access to Black communities, and generational stereotypes directly created the modern swim equity gap that affects urban neighborhoods today.
- Social-Emotional Learning (Overcoming Phobias & Intergenerational Mentorship): The book centers on Bree confronting a severe personal phobia through the support of an elderly neighbor, Etta. This makes it ideal for SEL modules targeting vulnerability, peer anxiety, perseverance, and the deep emotional value found in cross-generational community relationships.
Diversity & Representation:
-
Swim Team delivers profound, award-winning representation by showcasing a completely Black-led narrative centered around aquatics—a space historically gatekept by white athletic structures. By tackling deep-rooted systemic barriers while celebrating the joy, athleticism, and teamwork of its young Black protagonists, the text provides a crucial mirror for minority students and a powerful window for all library patrons.
Readalikes:
- New Kid by Jerry Craft
- Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas
- Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega
- Twins by Carian Johnson
- Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab by Priya Huq
- Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
