So many students are going to relate to Ty's anxiety and body image issues. They will love that Sink or Swim is a graphic novel and so many who have read Just Roll With It ask for another book like it. Now I'll have something to hand them!

Ty had to sit out of swim season due to a broken arm. His body has changed, his confidence has weakened, and his friendships aren't the same. Can some time at summer camp with his former best friend heal what's bothering him?

Sink or Swim is a graphic novel that tried to do too much. Parts of it worked really well--the depiction of Ty's anxiety and the feeling of drowning was particularly impactful. Other parts didn't seem to be as well thought out. I didn't truly believe that Ty was struggling with his sexual orientation--it seemed like that was added on at the end. The incorporation of body image was well done, especially the counselor not really having specific advice. I think that is true to what a lot of adults would feel. The art style wasn't my favorite.

I received an ARC from Random House Children’s via NetGalley. This realistic juvenile graphic novel is great for fans of the first book Just Roll with It, but also reads just fine independently. Ty is recovering from a recent injury and is high anxiety about his appearance since he hasn’t been as active during his recovery period. Ty is at summer camp and having trouble focusing on friendships and activities. Overall, a well developed story of adjusting to change and opening up about emotions. It’s nice seeing so many middle grade graphic novels about working through mental health concerns.

Middle grade graphic novels are some of my favorite books to read, and I'm always on the lookout for upcoming releases that will be good recs for the kids at my library. Sink or Swim will absolutely be one that I'll be recommending to kids looking for a book that explores mental health, body image, friendship dynamics, and features a diverse cast of characters.
We get to follow our main character, Ty, as he navigates coming back from breaking his arm and how that impacted not only his passion for swimming, but also his body image and his friendship with his best friends. Ty's struggle with anxiety and the pressure he puts on himself are things I think middle school readers will relate to, and this book navigated hard topics in such a tender and thoughtful way. I honestly wish younger me would have had this book. I cried, I laughed, I cheered. Sink or Swim was so amazing and truly navigated body image, anxiety, sexuality, and friendship in a way that I wish even more books would. I'll be recommending this to anyone who listens.
Also, side-note, but I WISH I got to go to a summer camp as cool as the one in this book.

A middle-of-the-road summer camp graphic. I love a good camp story, but this one didn't do anything special for me, and I didn't find that it contributed anything particularly original to the conversation on anxiety. Sure to be gobbled up by readers, though, especially given the success of Just Roll With It. All major characters lgbt. Ages 10-12. 2.5 stars.

3.5 Rating this on the higher star side of things because it has more going on than some of the one-issue narratives that have become a staple of some middlegrade graphic novel releases. It addresses body shame and self-hatred among boys, as well as friend break-ups and drama among boys—boys experience this stuff, too, and there’s still not a lot of representation of that in middlegrade books. Finding new facets of oneself when one was previously boiled down to a star athlete and nothing else—as Ty does when he finds himself enjoying hanging with new friends into tabletop gaming after he breaks his arm, misses a sports season, and doubts he’ll ever be good at sports again—is here, too. Loneliness is also, though, and anxiety, and reconciliation.

But (spoiler)


I was disappointed when out of nearly nowhere in the last few pages Ty & Max’s friendship breakup also apparently has to do with Max’s crush on Ty, and Ty reciprocating it. I’m getting weary of seeing random sudden queerness introduced into middlegrade books with nearly no nuance or true build-up. There’s a girl-girl couple with character and romance in the book from almost the start—yay!—but this boy-boy attraction is mostly out of left field, and honestly kind of dilutes the depiction of their friendship breakup—like THIS was what it was really about, not poor communication and mindreading and no longer swimming together competitively and Max being afraid to share how much his new body is affecting his security and sense of self. I’m cranky about “throw a nonbinary kid in it” feeling like Portlandia’s “put a bird on it” sketch for middlegrade publishing right now. Neither Ty nor Max are nonbinary, but it felt of a piece with poorly-executed “nonbinary kid drops” into other books. ***I want to make it clear that there are plenty of great middlegrade books with nonbinary and gay representation***. I just thought it wasn’t done well here.

*Sink or Swim* is a strong middlegrade read even so. Thanks due to #netgalley for access to the digital ARC.

(Review posted to goodreads)

okay so there's Ty, who used to the swimming team captain. but he broke his arm and was on cast for months, thus he lack of practice and is very conscious about his out-of shape body. his mind keep thinking that he can't swim anymore, with a body like that. not only he has to face his insecurity, he also needed to mend things between him and one of his best friend, Max, who got pissed that Ty kept pushing and ignoring his friends. it was a lot of misunderstanding and pricked ego.

I felt that this book is too long. and Max's mood swing was tiringgg. one panel he's all pouting, next panel he'd smile slightly, and on the next panel he's pouting again. also... this is a middle grade book, the crush and kissing part were really unnecessary pls. it could be just about beautiful friendship... so. 2,5 stars.

Sink or Swim has so many lovely and meaningful conversations about hard topics. I really appreciated how each topic was handled by friends and, or camp counselors.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Agarwal brings readers in to meet characters after major events have happened. Ty gets his arm cast off at the start and readers learn he has not only lost a season of swim meets but has ghosted his friends while he was healing. They all attend summer camp together and the conflicts come with them. Ty struggles to talk with Max but is better able to connect with Max's twin, Heather. Ty also makes new friends and this adds to the tension. The imagery used to show how much Ty is struggling directly connects to his fear of swimming again. Readers see the waters rise and are encouraged when he fights back. Sharp readers will notice water on every page spread.
The characters are complex and dealing with more than one issue as happens in reality. Ty is struggling to rebuild strength, afraid to try and battling self image issues with his weight. I questioned the pale whiteness of his created self but it may have been to distinguish the two. This inner voice was vicious as happens when people spiral. We also see Max and Heather wrestle with their own issues. Again, I appreciate the reminder that no one's life is perfect. I had a concern with the camp counselors attempting to help, but they did seek other sources for support and did encourage Ty to get further help. There are LGBTQ+ relationships woven through with major hints that this may be another area where Ty and Max suffer from anxiety until the ending.
The artwork is detailed and offers further information about the story. The characters are well rounded with emphasis on specific areas. Middle grade readers will identify with the various issues shared.

Ty was the swim team captain, it was who he was. But when he breaks his arm, he is out for the season. When he finally gets his cast off, his family and friends are excited for him to return to the water. But Ty isn't so sure - he has gained weight and is out of practice. He has massive anxiety about getting in the water, and having people see his larger body. Ty tries to handle it on his own, but he pushes his friends away. When he is sent to summer camp, with one big aspect being swimming, will he get over his nerves, or will he need help facing his fears?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this graphic novel.

Readers will love the illustrations, and the presentation of this story. The anxiety about returning to a sport after injury, body image, and friend are well represented, and many kids will be able to relate.

My heart 😭 I cried. This book is so adorable and perfect for middle school. It's about Max who was the swim team captain But he broke his arm and missed a season. When he gets cast off he starts to talk to his best friends again but then realizes that maybe they don't like him anymore because he doesn't know if he can swim so he ignores them. But then they have summer camp and there's this big swim competition and Max tells his friends that he's going to do it but is so scared to do it. His body has changed since he wasn't able to really exercise as much with his cast and he's really insecure about himself and his friendships and his future. This book is so heartwarming. It is really an excellent portrayal of the ups and downs of emotions in relationships at that age.

Loved that we got discussions about body image, eating disorders (not clinical but more in terms of eating is neutral), queerness, friendships, crushes, teamwork, hobbies

Genuinely adorable. Highly recommend.

Oh, Max. Sweet Max who is dealing with so much as he recovers from the changes he went through while he had a broken arm and wasn’t part of the swim team. Now he finds himself at camp where he can’t figure out how to get back to normal while he drowns in anxiety.

I really loved Sink or Swim. It had various themes like friendship evolving, being queer, and being disappointed in your body. I loved the imagery of being underwater when the main character felt overwhelmed. I loved the camp setting as well.

This is such a great look at body image in boys which we don't see enough of. Boys have issues with their bodies too especially after an injury and fear that they can't compete anymore or that they don't want to take their shirt off. I love the adult role models in this story and how they help him figure out himself, his body and his friendships throughout camp and get back to who he really is!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This book is just too cute! You know how middle school can be tough, right? Well, this book totally gets it and talks about real stuff without being all preachy. It's actually the second book in a series, but it works on its own. I would like to see more of this series because I feel students can relate to these kinds of characters. I love how it softly touches upon having anxieties and how to deal with different kinds of friendships along with attitudes. This is also one of the first graphic novels I read where a main character actual feels safe enough to talk to an adult abou their feelings and problems. Healthy child to adult relationships in graphic novels is so rare since most of the time, parents/adults are the ones the characters have issues with. If you're in 5th-8th grade, you should totally check this one out!
Oh, and let me tell you about the art in this book—it's seriously adorable! The illustrations are cute and colorful, adding this extra layer of wholesomeness to the characters and plot. Just makes the whole reading experience even more delightful for middle schoolers!

This companion novel to Just Roll With It (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2021/10/cartoon-saturday-just-roll-with-it.html) can be read independently of that book. It centers on Ty, who suffered a broken arm that kept him from competitive swimming, an activity that he shared with longtime best friends, twins Max and Heather. Feeling sad and overwhelmed by his injury and unsure how to keep up his friendship without the common activity, Ty has retreated a bit. Even after the cast is off, he finds it difficult to answer texts from his friends, since he feels fat and generally miserable. All three go to the same summer camp after school is out, something they had been looking forward to. Swimming, canoe building, and other activities now hold no interest for Ty, who often ignores the attentions of his cabin mates in favor of staying in his bunk. He does do some exploring with Dan, who is interested in finding a stag beetle to take home, but this just seems to anger Max even further. Heather has confided that they were both sad at being ghosted, but didn't know how to reconnect. Max and Ty have constant tense interactions, but after their squabbling results in their canoe for the competition being damaged, Heather insists they talk it out. They come to an uneasy truce, and Ty agrees to participate in the swimming competition. The day of the even, however, finds him in the laundry room, washing clothes and spiraling into a depressive episode that involves him resorting to some self-harm, scratching his stomach and arms. He asks a counselor for help, and has another talk with Max, admitting how severe his situation is. Max confides that he has been so reactive because he thinks of Ty as more than a friend. Ty returns the feelings, and the two kiss. Heather admits that she has also been dealing with some troubling emotions after Max shared a song with a friend without her permission, but at an end of camp event, she sings the song and dedicates it to her girlfriend. Upon returning home, I hope that all three participate in some counseling to help regulate their emotions.
Strengths: This does pick up the thread of role playing games, with campers trying out a tabletop game, so readers of Roll with it will appreciate that. Summer camp is always a popular topic, so readers who enjoyed Be Prepared will be drawn to this. The artistic style is pleasant, and the camp scenes make ME want to go back and sleep on a cot in a leaky tent and swim in a lake. The idea of recovering from a sports injury will resonate with many young readers. The friend drama is intense, and again, always a popular topic. Books about anxiety and stress are on trend.
Weaknesses: I often refer to books that include a lot of sadness as "soggy", and Ty's emotions are shown as water engulfing him and making it hard for him to breathe, so he is definitely soggy in a lot of the book. Young readers might enjoy this more than I did; I find that swirling anxiety and constant bickering, while true to life, often slow down the plot of books.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed graphic novels like Ogle's Four Eyes, Page's Button Pusher or Sattin and Hickman's Buzzing.

Super cute graphic novel dealing with the hardness of life when coming of age. This book details multiple friend groups and provides positive representation for LGBTQIA+ groups. It is a bit lengthy ...but if you push through it, you'll be glad for doing so.

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley

I have mixed feelings about the middle-grade graphic novel, SINK OR SWIM. School is out and summer awaits for 12-year-old-Max. Before breaking his arm, Max was the star of his swim team. Now that his cast just came off, Max is now doubting his ability and letting his anxieties get in the way of getting back into the water. Add in his insecurities about his body, the weight he gained during his injury, and ignoring his friends during swim season, Max doesn't want to go anywhere near the water and doesn't know how to reconnect with his friends. Enter summer camp. Will Max be able to regain the confidence he once had in the water, and will he be able to fix his friendships before his friends move on without him?

I think this is a lot going on for a 12-year-old to handle...or maybe it's not! He's got anxiety about going back into the water. Will he be able to pick up where he left off as the team's best swimmer? He thinks he's gained weight and has started skipping meals. He's even talking to himself constantly in front of the mirror putting himself down. Thank goodness for one of the camp counselors who Max feels comfortable talking to. Once he finally gets back into the water and seems to feel comfortable within his own skin again, he then has to face his feelings for his best friend. Does he like him more than just a friend? There just seems to be a lot of things going on in this story. Teaching fifth grade as part of elementary school, I'm also not sure how many of Max's issues my 10-11 year olds will relate to. I do think middle school is the sweet spot for this book. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced digital copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Graphic for the ARC. This book had so much heart and was an enjoyable read. Ty was star of the swim team but he breaks his arm and is in a cast all season. He has lost touch with his best friend and feelings are hurt. Now they are going to summer camp and swimming is on the to do list. Can Ty gain confidence and his best friend back. A must for the Library.