In the same vein as the Prince and the Dressmaker and Smile, Swing is a middle grade graphic novel is a love story to the weird kids and the kids who don’t fit in. Two opposite 8th graders are forced to do a class project…perform a swing dance routine. Marcus, a reluctant soccer player, struggles to fit in, while Izzy, the artsy “weird girl,” wants to lie low.
Marcus and Izzy are the odd couple. But the class project creates a new friendship and helps both grow and realize what they want to be. I can see this being incredibly popular with 8th graders, especially those who love Raina Telgemeir

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute comic. I loved the storyline and the characters. I did think there would be a bit more about identity and wished we could have seen more about the family dynamics.

I would definitely recommend this book, especially for school/classroom libraries.

Cute, well-illustrated novel about fitting in and standing out and how to manage both in middle school.
Marcus and Izzy's friendship is one kids can relate to. Forced together for an assignment, they navigate bullies, peer pressure,
parental expectations, and fake and real friendship while trying to save their PE grade.
A good book for any middle school library.

Swing does a good job of presenting two middle schoolers who are figuring things out about themselves. Marcus is learning to assert himself and to stand up and speak out for what he believes in. Izzy is dealing more with the pressures of being bullied and the results of having actually spoken up the year before. Both, in becoming partners and eventual friends, learn to rely on each other as a way of helping them through the challenges to the other side. Swing dancing isn't as prominent as I had expected in this book, and that's 100% fine because the story works well without it. I do think that the title could lead some people to believe it's about gender identity, and there really isn't.any questioning of gender and sexuality with these two characters. And they're in middle school so that's not unheard of. Sure, there is some role reversal in the dance, but it's more about recognizing skills for what they are irrespective of whether you're a boy or girl.

The characters are nice. Their struggles are believable. And the artwork is in line with this genre and target demographic. All in all, a good addition and a fun follow up to a series like Emma and Friend and Click, among others.

Very cute middle grade graphic novel about two kids struggling to be themselves and still "fit in". There are themes of peer pressure, bullying, and friendship that will really resonate with middle school students. I particularly loved that we see a male figure accept a role viewed as more "feminine" and learns to be proud of himself.

Swing is a graphic novel set in the turmoil of middle school. It takes us through the typical harrowing dilemmas of friendships, un aware parents and school work being really hard. It brings to it the freshness of a swing dancing assignment and a former ballet dancer turned PE teacher. Marcus, tired of soccer and a best friend who’s a bully, has to team up with Izzy, smart and bullied for her bucking the trend fashion choices. I enjoyed this book, as a former soccer playing, smart, weird dressing, bullied middle schooler!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
#Swing #NetGalley

What must you do to fit in? Do you have to pretend to like something you loath? Or do you say, screw this, and do what you want to do, even if it means being ostracized by all your peers?

This is what faces Marcus, who plays soccer though he hates it, and Izzy, who loves designing clothes, and has decided that she doesn’t give a flying rats patootie if anyone likes what she wears or not.

The two are thrown together because they are not doing well in P.E., and to keep their grades up they must learn a swing dance, and do it for the talent show, and place. If they can do that, they can bring their grades back up.

It isn’t that Marcus doesn’t enjoy dancing, he does. He just doens’t want his “friends” to know. And Izzy doens’t understand why he keeps trying to dis her, and avoid her, when he is around his ‘friends”.

It is a classic case of bullying. You can see it the first time you meet Ted.

I don’t hurt for Izzy as much as I do for Marcus. At least Izzy knows what she wants, and follows her heart. It is Marcus that you are screaming at, to dump Ted, and just go with his heart.

Very enjoyable, if slightly painful, telling of life in Middle School.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 22nd of October 2024.

Swing
Audrey Meeker, Sarah Dividson
This is a hilarious middle school graphic novel.
In Swing we meet two eighth graders: Marcus and Izzy.
Marcus’ big brothers were soccer champs. He plays soccer but doesn’t like it. He’s not all that crazy about his best friend and teammate, Ted who is a bully and a jerk. Ted’s behavior bothers Marcus, but he hesitates to say anything.
Izzy is often the object of jokes. Her schoolmates make fun of her because of how she dresses. She wants to be a designer and dresses sort of goth. Her clothing stands out in a crowd. She is determined to show everyone she is confident but deep down inside she isn’t. Her mother demands good grades. Izzy joins a theater group and feels right at home but her mother is hesitant to allow her to participate.
In physical education class Marcus and Izzy are paired up to swing dance together. Ted makes fun of them, he spies on them, takes photos and posts negative things about them. Things don’t go well, and their grade proves it. Their teacher offers them a second chance; he will give them extra credit if they do the swing dance at the school’s talent show. Izzy and Marcus really enjoy each other’s company, but Ted gives Marcus such a hard time that he denies their friendship. Of course, Izzy overhears the conversation and is so hurt she asks to be allowed to dance alone at the talent show. This isn’t the first time Ted has bullied Izzy. Finally, Marcus has had enough and apologizes to Izzy and asks her to allow him to dance with her. Izzy has some requests of her own.
This tale demonstrates middle school bullying. Kids face this every day in our schools. There is also sibling rivalry. Without meaning too often older siblings or their parents push kids to excel at sports “just like your brother.”
This is a fantastic book for all middle school students. I hope parents and teachers will encourage kids to read it.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

A fun graphic novel that touches upon important themes amongst the middle grade audience: friendship, bullying, and finding your interests. The book was a bit slow to start but once it picked up, I really enjoyed seeing Marcus and Izzy’s friendship blossoming and how they show up for one another in both high and low moments. While there are hints of a crush between the two, I appreciated that the author focused more on their friendship as well as Marcus’ and Izzy’s individual journeys.

I really loved this graphic novel. Besides the engaging illustrations, I adored the multi-layered story which covers bullying, friendships, relationships with parents and teachers, and first crushes to name a few. The layout Meade this graphic novel very easy to navigate and I’m confident my students who are partial to text and those who respond more to images will enjoy. I look forward to seeing more from Meeker.

A lovely middle grade graphic novel that touches on a bunch of different dynamics of friendship and family. I was hooked from the start! Illustrations are so good too! Love a mix of sport and the arts! I loved the ending :)

Fans of Duel, the Click series, and Frizzy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Childrens Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a great story!! I finished this book with the biggest smile. Two kids who are so different from each other dealing with family pressure and trying to figure out how to make it all work. The main characters are relatable. I am looking forward to recommending this book to students.

Swing is a relatable graphic novel that has us navigating the pressures of middle school, cliques, parents, and friendship. Izzy and Marcus fail their swing dance assignment and in order to pass gym class they have to perform their routine at the talent show. Both characters have their flaws and come into their own by the end of the story in a genuine way. I liked that Izzy and Marcus needed to learn how to speak up for themselves and for others. Highly recommended to those who like books similar to Drama by Raina Telgemeir and the Berrybook Middle School Series by Svetlana Chmakova.

This one took me by surprise! It felt a little slow to start and I wasn't sure I would enjoy it, but I ended up liking how some of the challenges were resolved. Other plot points felt a little overly familiar, like the overbearing parents pressing for perfection, and the predictable/quick resolution at the end. That being said, I really appreciated the way the author handled bullying and the social pressure faced by middle schoolers. There were hints of crushes possibly developing, but I was glad this didn’t turn out to be a major plot point. The focus was more on friendship and communication, which was great to see. I liked that there was more nuance and things could be left up to the reader’s interpretation.

This book was adorable. As an adult reading it, I found it especially endearing. It highlights the importance of pursuing your own dreams despite parental expectations, teaching kids to fight for what they want.

*About the book (may contain spoilers):*

The story begins on Marcus' first day of 8th grade. His mom wants him to be an athlete, but he reluctantly goes along to make her happy.

Izzy, a smart and energetic kid, is labeled as strange due to her unique fashion sense. She loves fashion and sewing, but her mom insists she focus on getting straight A's. Izzy reminds me of Janice from Mean Girls.

Paired up in PE, Izzy and Marcus must perform swing dance for the talent show to avoid failing. To get an A, they need to place in the top three.

They learn to cooperate and deal with their friends' and families' opinions.

A really cute graphic novel.

Cute middle grade focused graphic novel about Marcus McCalister, unwilling soccer star, and Izzy Briggs, a would-be designer with a distinct popularity problem. Both Marcus and Izzy struggle with overbearing parents who don't understand them - Izzy's mother expects academic perfection while Marcus' parents assuming Marcus loves soccer as much as his older brother does. Both also struggle with Ted, Marcus' former best friend and classroom bully whose obsession with outshining his older brother (who is one half of a high school soccer super duo along with Marcus' elder brother). Along the way both Marcus and Izzy learn about who they are and what they care about, as well as how to be better friends to one another.

This was really cute! I enjoyed the art style and the colors! The characters were great, and I liked the plot and how the characters grew through the story. It was very fun!!

What I liked:

Marcus’s need to fit in conflicting with his desire to stop playing soccer felt very realistic and sympathetic, as did his changing relationship with Ted. Overall, the school dynamics felt familiar, if a tad too much so at times, and the scenes in gym class were some of the most relatable I’ve encountered often in middle-grade books. I also (spoiler alert!) loved the final scene when Marcus and Ted’s brothers arrive—Ted getting remonstrated by his idols held much poetic justice.

What I struggled with:

I had a hard time connecting with the actual art style of this book—it’s very blocky and straightforward, without much nuance either in the depictions of characters/settings or in the way the panels are organized. I feel the need to preface my other thoughts with that because I think that, since the art is literally the medium through which the story is conveyed, I do believe it colored other opinions I have on the book as a whole. Perhaps because of that, many of the characters felt less well-rounded than they perhaps should have, and I struggled to connect with Izzy in particular.

This is perhaps a bit more opinion-based, but I also chafed slightly at the depiction of Izzy leading the dance being such a huge twist. In the context of the story, Izzy is the obvious choice for the position. Although I understand the backlash that Marcus faced, he takes what feels like a much larger step outside of traditional gender norms with his outfit at the talent show itself without much thought, which made this not ring altogether true. Additionally, since gender norms/stereotypes feel otherwise upheld in Izzy and Marcus’s friendship, this plotline felt like something of a letdown.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was such a cute and thought provoking graphic novel. We get a touch on toxic masculinity and as well being yourself. Marcus and Izzy’s back and forth have me whiplash but I can understand how they are feeling. They are in middle school and that is peak time for you to be unsure of yourself and of your friends. I’m glad Marcus was able to figure things out in the end. Izzy was adorable and I’m not sure why everyone didn’t want to be her friend. Even though they had some hiccups in their friendship, I have a feeling that they will take it with them to high school. Ted was the literal worst and he mirrored all the bullies I knew in middle school as well. Why do they all seem the same?

The ending at the talent show was so sweet I was grinning from ear to ear. I’d love to read more graphic novels by this creator!

E ARC provided by Netgalley

School projects can make for strange companions, and in this graphic novel Marcus, a reluctant soccer player, and Izzy, an aspiring fashion designer, are thrown together in a dance project for physical education class. Starting 8th grade is hard for Marcus, who is not as interested in soccer as his older brother is, especially since his former best friend and teammate, Ted, is a jerk. Ted, who also has an older brother, demands that Marcus show up for soccer practice so that the two can beat their brothers' team record, but Marcus wants to distance himself both from the sport and from Ted. Izzy, who often rocks a quirky quasi-Goth style, is on the recieving end of lots of negative comments from classmates, and is also under a lot of pressure from her mother to get good grades. Marcus and Izzy have to do a swing dance for class, which leads Ted to make fun of them, especially when they also end up sitting together in advanced language arts class... for the whole year! Marcus does go to team tryouts but is increasingly bothered by Ted's actions, even though he isn't brave enough to stand up to him. Izzy, meanwhile, finds a welcoming place in the theater group, where Ramona is excited to have her on board for talent show planning and costumes. Marcus and Izzy practice, and do a decent job, although Marcus has trouble leading. When the two do their dance for a grade, Marcus is distracted by Ted's comments, and it ends in disaster. Mr. Walsh, their gym teacher (and retired dancer!) says that their poor grade is enough that they might have to retake the class... unless they do a swing dance for the talent show. Izzy is NOT going to have her grades affected so that her mother has an excuse to pull her out of theater, so the two work on their dance. They actually enjoy being together, and may even have a little crush on each other, if we believe the many flushed cheeks in the pictures. They even hang out, eating popsicles on the driveway, and talk about the pressures they face at school. Of course, Ted isn't happy with Marcus' relationship, especially when he gets put on the silver team instead of the gold one, ruining their chances of beating their brothers. He even spies on the two and posts negative pictures of them on social media. Marcus finds out, and tells Ted that it's not like he's REALLY friends with Izzy--imagine the sorts of things tweens would say to try to save face. Of course, Izzy overhears and asks Mr. Walsh if she can dance solo in the show. Since Izzy's mother had to get the principal involved when Ted bullied Izzy in 7th grade, this is allowed, and Marcus ends up cleaning gym equipment. When Ted is mean about how Marcus plays during a big game, Marcus has had enough, and goes to Izzy's house with a box of soccer treat popsicles to apologize and ask to be able to dance with her. Izzy agrees, as long as Marcus will wear whatever costume she suggests. Marcus ends up in a silly shirt and pants, which rip as they are getting on the stage. Throwing caution to the wind, he dons a skirt, and the two do a great dance. They win second place, Izzy's mom apologizes for trying to deny Izzy the opportunity to do theater, and both Marcus and Ted have heart-to-hearts with their brothers.
Strengths: This is middle school bullying. It's calling people "clown show" when they're at their locker and teachers can't hear. It's Ted giving Marcus a hard time about not playing soccer and hanging out with Izzy. It's a thousand tiny paper cuts of social pressure and judgement. The sibling rivalry is also very true; I have to admit to motivating cross country runners to best their older sibling's time by reminding them that they would have bragging rights at Thanksgiving forever! Marcus' desire to drop out of soccer but he inability to do so is quite common, and it was good to see that Izzy did find a place where she was happy. The constant embarassment and discomfort pretty much defines middle school for many people. It's good to see a happy ending and emotional growth, because that gives readers struggling with their own issues hope that there may be a happy ending for them as well.
Weaknesses: This is not how grades work. Had Mr. Walsh failed the two, Izzy's mom would have thrown a fit with the principal and gotten Mr. Walsh in trouble. It's much more likely that Mr. Walsh would have taken pity on them and let them redo the dance at lunch, and one project is rarely enough to torpedo grades in any classes in today's academic climate. Pretty sure that if Marcus and Izzy showed up for class every day and tried, they would have gotten at least a B. The skirt seemed over the top to me, but since I have a lot of boys who wear eyeliner and nail polish, I don't think today's tweens will think it's as scandalous as Ted seems to.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and this will be a popular title with fans of books with plenty of friend drama. Looking forward to seeing more titles from this author.