I was not able to read this book. I could not get the print enlarged enough to read the book!! I tried for over an hour and could not get it enlarged. It looks great, but I did not get to read it due to text size.

What an absolutely fantastic read. This book is about a girl and her father moving to a new town so he can get a better job and make their life better. We follow Bree as she navigates a new middle school in tropical Florida and finds out that it’s about time she learns to swim. However, Bree thinks that she’s too old to learn how to swim, and that Black people don’t swim. She gets a history lesson in why that stereotype exists from somebody in their apartment complex who herself was a state champion swimmer. This starts Bree’s adventure to joining the swim team and finding out that you can do anything you put your mind. She also realizes it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, anybody can swim, anybody can have fun in the water, and anybody can go to state finals.

Get lost in beautiful illustrations, a story full of heart and trepidation, and friendship. Johnnie Christmas knocked this book out of the park. It's easy to read and compelling with excellent coloring choices and highly emotionally communicative facial expressions. Thank you to NetGalley and Harperalley for an early read for a free review.

I didn't what to expect going into this graphic novel but it honestly blew me away. This was a great story about overcoming your fears and anxieties. I really like how those anxieties were visualised throughout this novel. I also really loved the friendship element in this graphic novel as well. It's a very sweet and inspirational story. On top of that this graphic novel also features some black history and I really like how that was integrated into the story. This is a great graphic novel that I'd recommend for any kid (and adult) to read.

'Swim Team' with story and art by Johnnie Christmas is a graphic novel about a young girl overcoming one of her greatest fears.

When Bree and her father move to Florida, it means a new school and new people to meet. Bree can't swim, but when she has to sign up for swimming as the only elective available, it opens a new world to her including a chance to learn about the history of swimming and segregation.

This was a wonderful story on so many levels. Bree overcoming her inner voices, the Swim sisters (old and young), and the thrill of competing all combine to make a heartwarming story with great art.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

The art wasn't what I expected from the cover, but it was cute nonetheless. I liked the story. I think it had strong character growth, and I appreciated the discussion of race through multiple lenses. I also enjoyed Bree's relationship with her father, and that with her best friend. I love a loving relationship that understands distance and priorities. It was a middle grade story, so I do think this is a great book for younger teens or kids. Fun, vibrant, and intelligent. Just not as much my kind of story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!

In, Swim Team, Christmas introduces readers to the life of Bree, a young girl who moves from NY to Florida. Her new life equals a quirky neighbor, Ms. Etta and the local middle school, Enith Brigitha which is named after the first Black Woman to win an Olympic medal for swimming. Anxiety takes over as Bree goes from a girl who cannot swim, to the missing piece of the puzzle on the Enith Brigitha swim team and their bid for the state championships. With a small does of history sprinkled in, this title is a great read for middle grade readers, swimmers or not.

In Swim Team, a young Black tween named Bree and her father move to Florida for her father’s new job opportunity. Bree enters a new school excited to join the math league but when no space is available, she is told that Swim 101 will be her elective. The problem is, Bree doesn’t know how to swim and is actually terrified of water.

Bree starts skipping swim class and is caught but rather than being angry, her Dad signs her up for swim lessons. When a student from a rival school mocks her for being in the kiddie class, Bree quits the lessons. Soon after, a terrifying incident happens when Bree falls into her complex’s pool, her kind neighbor Ms. Etta saves her and then gives Bree swim lessons.

Ms. Etta is a wealth of swim knowledge including teaching Bree that her ancestors were always swimmers. During segregation, Black families were not allowed in public pools and it was a horrible cycle that created a generation of Black that just didn’t swim. Ms Etta coaches Bree who eventually becomes comfortable in the pool and even joins the swim team and Bree and her team go up against their rival school in an exciting swim meet towards the end of the novel.

Swim Team weaves Bree’s fear of swimming with the history of segregated pools. That history is key in understanding that Black communities just didn’t choose to learn how to swim, they were actively prevented from accessing swimming pools across the country. As a Black woman myself, I’ve heard tales of near death drawing experiences from many members of my family who never learned when they were younger.

Author Johnnie Christmas captures that fear and unease that Bree feels around the pool perfectly and I say this as a kid who used to feel the same exact way until I learned how to swim. He also captures just how a community can embrace a new family and Bree’s friendships with her classmates and Ms. Etta are truly heartwarming.

Swim Team is filled with thoughtful and realistic tidbits like Bree learning swimming safe hair styles and her frustration that her Dad has to work constantly. Swim Team is colored beautifully and the illustrations are detailed and vibrant. I liked that the author added into word bubbles that portrayed Bree’s intrusive thoughts about pools because again, it captures that fear that many Black children have especially if they don’t know how to swim. Swim Team is a must read for any graphic novel fan who will get a fun story and some Black history to think about.

Rating 4.5/5

I absolutely adored this graphic novel! Determination, friendship, grit, perseverance, heart- it’s all there! Kids and adults alike will enjoy Swim Team.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for the ARC of this!

What a heartwarming and adorable story about persevering and friendship. I absolutely loved the art style and characters. Perfect for middle grade readers!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was set at a good pace and I read it in a day. I enjoyed the art style, and while I don’t swim, a my siblings did swim team so I know more about swimming than I ever cared to know, but I do like reading about swimming and I really enjoyed this plot. I loved the illustrations of puzzle pieces and how the theme of puzzles was present throughout the entire story. Bree was a great lead character and I loved her friendships and the theme of camaraderie and supporting your friends and teammates. I also liked how it included some history about the segregation of swimming pools in our history and how it has effected generations of Black people and their relationships with swimming. I think this is an important, and beautifully illustrated graphic novel and I definitely recommend it.

Bree is starting her new middle school and can't wait to select her electives. She's got her eye on Math Club, but it's closed out. In fact, everything is closed out of her time slot, except for Swim 101. Bree, afraid to swim, reluctantly takes the class, but tries to dodge it until she realizes that it will affect her grade point average. A mishap at her apartment complex leads her to Etta, an older woman who lives in the building, who also happens to be a former swim team captain from Bree's school. As Etta trains Bree, she becomes a confident swimmer who gives the school team a chance at victory over rival Holyoke Prep. A strong subplot about Etta's time in middle school delves into the history of segregation and public pools, and busts the "Black people don't swim" myth wide open. Solidly constructed storytelling keeps readers invested and engaged; they'll be white-knuckling the book and cheering Bree's team, the Manatees, at every meet. A strong theme of social justice and change provides historical background and back matter includes resources for more reading. Talk this up with realistic fiction graphic novels like Jerry Craft's New Kid and Class Act; Alyssa Bermudez's Big Apple Diaries, and Gillian Goerz's Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer. Put this book on your shelves!

Swim Team has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and BookPage; it's also been selected for the Kids' Indie Next List.

I have a new favorite Graphic Novel! I will absolutely be buying this for my library and recommending it to students.
Swim Team tells the story of Bree who is moving to Florida with her dad. She settles in well until the only elective she can fit in her schedule is swimming- and she doesn’t know how to swim! Bree avoids that class in ways that go against her usual character. I think students will be able to relate to this feeling of wanting to avoid problems- it is handled so well! At a turning point in the novel, she makes a connection with her neighbor and begins to learn to swim. In the end, it is a story about our relationships with others, helping others and facing what is hard.
The colored illustrations are clear and pop on the page and invite readers in. It reminds me of the way Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels are so inviting to students! The details in the drawings of the different characters and setting, add to the development of the story.
My favorite part was the part that gave some background information into segregation of pools and how this affected the black and BIPOC swimmers. It is seamlessly woven into the story and ended up being my favorite few pages of the book.
What I enjoyed the most was the way the author handled difficult topics. Fear of the water and anxiety surrounding being the best were two that I think kids will benefit from seeing. Also, it shows grown ups navigating difficult situations so well.

I will be purchasing this for my library and highly recommend others do the same!

I loved this! This reminded me a lot of Roller Girl; it has a great mission about trying something new and relying on friends and teamwork to succeed.

Bree moves to Florida with her dad and her first fear is finding new friends. That fear is quickly replaced when she gets placed in Swim 101 for her elective and has to face the fact that she has never learned to swim. There were many great discussions that addressed the stereotype that black people don't know how to swim and the theme of conquering your fears is inspirational. With the help of her neighbor, Mrs. Etta, and her new best friend Clara, Bree faces her fears and somehow finds herself on the swim team. This brings about even more new challenges, but Bree is more than ready to face them with her new community.

This book had strong female characters and a great message about friendship and facing fears. Highly recommended!

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars for this engaging graphic novel. I loved the message about not giving up and the importance of teamwork, with the history of black swim culture added in. I felt like the history component was integrated seamlessly and felt like a natural part of the story. I also loved the intergenerational mentor aspect of the story. Will definitely be adding this to my classroom library!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this title!

When Bree moves to Florida, she is excited to take just about any elective course at her new school... except swimming. She does not want to swim. Naturally, that's the only class available. She does what she can to avoid attending the class, but eventually she is caught and she has to do it. With some help from a kind neighbor named Etta, she gets used to the pool.

Etta helps her to understand why many Black people (including Bree's father) don't know how to swim. Johnnie Christmas delves into the history of pool segregation and the nastiness many Black people have faced with regard to pools and swimming. Etta encourages Bree to learn and grow, and Bree eventually has the confidence to join the school's competitive swim team.

This book has great illustrations and masterful storytelling. It is a worthy addition to any library. It's a great combination of a modern story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and growth while educating about history through Etta's lessons and also her experience as a competitive swimmer. Five stars!

This graphic novel is fantastic! As a lifelong swimmer, I really enjoyed seeing this sport be highlighted in one of my favorite formats. When Bree starts at her new middle school, she is excited to become a mathlete and is crushed to learn that this elective is full. Her only option is swimming class, and Bree doesn't know how to swim. Her adult neighbor, a former swim team great, volunteers to help Bree so that she can stop skipping class and overcome the taunting of some rude girls from a rival school. Along the way, Bree also learns about the historic laws that barred Black people from accessing public pools. The history lesson and global examples will help to dispel harmful stereotypes related to swimming. While this is a middle-grade level book, I think that everyone could benefit from reading this endearing graphic novel. Be sure to add this one to your TBR!

This is a fantastic middle grade graphic novel! This work covers many important topics including racism, friendship, and overcoming your fears. Readers will relate to Bree and cheer her and the swim team on through their season. Perfect summer read!

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas is a graphic novel that would be hard not to love! I really liked that the book highlighted the sport of swimming, as it is sometimes not as popular as basketball, baseball, and football in the genre of sports books . Black swimming culture is also not a subject that is mentioned in many books, so I appreciated learning and understanding this more and I know that kids will too. Many kids will be able to relate to the main character, Bree. She has just moved to a new middle school and the only elective that fits in her schedule is swimming, which is a sport that terrifies her and that she has no experience in. Swim Team is a book that will make you want to conquer your fears as you root for Bree in her new sport! This graphic novel is sure to rank right up there with Jerry Craft and Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels. Every elementary library should have this book!

Honest review from my nine year old.

I really enjoyed it. The illustrations were so realistic, especially the facial expressions and emotions.

The story was relatable. I really liked Bree and Etta’s relationship throughout the book.