“Swim Team” By Johnnie Christmas — A Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Middle Grade • Graphic Novel • Sports • Friendship • Identity

Author/Illustrator: Johnnie Christmas

Genre: Graphic Novel

Recommended Ages: 8 - 12Approachable for reluctant readers and deeply engaging for confident ones.

Summary:

Bree is starting a new middle school, and the only elective that fits her schedule is Swim 101 — a class she never wanted. She’s not comfortable in the water. But when she connects with Ms. Etta, an elder and former swim-team captain living in her apartment building, she begins to face her fear. Meanwhile her school’s swim team — the Mighty Manatees — is floundering, and the rival team, Holyoke Prep, seems poised to dominate. Bree must dive in, learn to swim, help her team, and in the process, discover what it means to belong, to persevere, and to challenge historic barriers.

My Thoughts:

I really appreciate how Swim Team blends athletic ambition, personal growth, and social awareness into a story that feels both fun and meaningful. The graphic-novel format allows the illustrator/author Johnnie Christmas to show the motion of swimming, the tension of competition, and the history behind the sport in vivid, engaging panels. The theme of facing a fear (water/swimming) resonates deeply, and the way the book includes the legacy of segregation and Black swimmers adds important context. For young readers, Bree’s journey is relatable: new school, new team, new fears. For older students and adults, the layered history and representation elevate it into something powerful. The colors, pace, and character dynamics make it a book well-suited for both individual reading and classroom discussion.

I highly recommend the podcast: Book Club for Kids Episode 140

Themes:

• Overcoming Fear

• Perseverance and Growth

• Teamwork and Friendship

• Representation and History

• Mentorship and Role Models

• Belongin and Confidence

• Equity and Access

  
  

Podcast

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas Classroom Integration:

Subjects: Reading/Language Arts, Social Studies, Health/PE, Art/Media Literacy

Core Themes: Perseverance, Teamwork, Identity, Overcoming fear, History of access & representation

Discussion Starters

1. What fears did Bree have at the start, and how did she begin to overcome them?

2. Why is swimming presented as more than “just a sport” in the story?

3. What role does Ms. Etta play in Bree’s growth — both in swimming and in understanding history?

4. What does the book teach us about how sport, access, and race can be connected?

5. How does Bree’s new school/team culture change over the course of the book?

Language Arts & Writing Activities

• Have students write a short journal entry from Bree’s perspective the night before her first swim class.

• Create a “fear to strength” timeline: what was the fear, how did the character face it, what changed?

• Research and write about a historically under-recognized athlete or sport figure related to access or representation (e.g., Black swimmers, female athletes).

PE / Health Integration

• Discuss swimming technique, water safety, and the courage needed to try something new.

• Explore how team sports build community and trust among participants.

Art & Media Literacy

• Examine how the graphic novel uses panels, color, motion lines, and facial expression to depict swimming and emotion.

• Let students design their own comic strip: “My First Day Trying Something New.”

• Create a poster: “What does Teamwork look like?” using images of swimmers, relays, and support.

Social Studies / Representation

• Discuss the history of segregation in public pools and how it affected access to swimming for many Black Americans.

• Use Bree’s story to launch a unit on community, access, and how sports can reflect wider societal issues.

• Ask: How does having role models who look like you and share your background matter in sports?

Why this book is important for Diversity and Inclusion:

Swim Team is an outstanding example of how children’s literature can blend representation, history, and empowerment in an accessible way. Johnnie Christmas highlights the long-lasting impact of segregation in swimming—an often overlooked part of American history that continues to affect Black communities today.

Bree’s journey provides a powerful mirror for Black readers who rarely see themselves represented as athletes in aquatic sports. Ms. Etta’s intergenerational mentorship also honors the strength of community and the resilience of Black women.

For all readers, this book serves as a meaningful window into systemic barriers, showing how history shapes present-day experiences. Christmas addresses these truths with sensitivity and hope, reminding students that inclusion in sports—and in all spaces—is a right, not a privilege.

Representation in middle-grade graphic novels matters deeply, and Swim Team offers both visibility and validation while encouraging empathy and critical thinking.

Librarian Reflection:

Swim Team is a compelling addition to collections aimed at middle-grade readers. It stands out because it brings together graphic storytelling, sport, personal challenge, and social history — all in one accessible format. Many students who might shy away from dense prose may dive into this graphic novel and come away with deeper interest in swimming, team sports, or the history of access and equity in athletics. Significantly, the book helps promote conversations about representation: Black swimmers, community pools, and the legacies of exclusion are rarely addressed in children’s sports narratives. This book fills that gap. In library displays for Black History Month, Sports Month, or “Try Something New” themes, Swim Team offers a strong anchor. It invites readers to see that trying a new activity — even one that scares you — can lead to growth, friendships, and change. Plus, the vibrant visuals engage both reluctant readers and avid graphic-novel fans.

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas