Swim the Fly

Gr 8—10—Matt, Sean, and Coop are 15-year-olds who start the summer with a simple goal: see a real-live naked girl. Matt adds a second, more difficult goal for himself: swim the impossible 100-yard butterfly to impress his crush, Kelly. A comedy of errors ensues as the guys pursue their goals with utter determination and somewhat uncertain morals. Some of the situations that they get into require extreme suspension of disbelief, but they are accomplished with such hilarious results that it doesn't matter. Don Calame's debut novel (Candlewick, 2009) opens a door to the minds of teen males that is captivating and laugh-out-loud funny, perfectly capturing that tongue-tied, awkward stage of growing up. Nick Podehl is pitch-perfect as Matt, letting all his foibles shine through with impeccable timing. He gives all the characters distinct voices, switching effortlessly from Grandpa Arlo's slight quaver to Valerie's French accent to Ulf's Austrian tones. A popular addition to high school and public libraries, especially where a bridge is needed from the novels by Gordon Korman to more mature titles.—Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI