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.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this Graphic Novel.

The Good:
-Super cute artwork and character design
-Fantastic message about friendship and overcoming adversity with a huge emphasis on mental health
-LGBTQIA+ rep without making a big deal that it's LGBTQIA+ rep

The Meh:
-A big part of the conflict is Ty coming to terms with his body and weight gain after an injury, but Ty looks the same in pictures from before. I don't know if we're supposed to read it as he didn't gain that much weight and is having other mental health issues or just something overlooked by the artist.
-It is a little long but paced well. I didn't feel like the story was dragging or had any unnecessary downtime.

This is so adorable. Like too precious for words. Middle school students are dealing with tough issues right now, and this book does a fantastic job tackling some of them without talking down or preaching to kids. I didn't realize this is the second book in a series, but I think these are side characters from the first book and it reads fine as a stand-alone. I hope this team continues to create comics for young people and highly recommend this one to 5th-8th graders.

I've received a copy for an honest review.
3.5 stars
After breaking his arm and having to sit out the swim season Ty has felt weird about his body. His body doesn't look how it used to and he's out of practice from swimming. His best friend Max has been asking him to hang out and practice for the camp swim competition, but feeling anxious Ty doesn't know if he can. Visual spreads of Ty's anxiety help the reader understand the inner turmoil he's feeling. Through the help of new friends and the camp counselors Ty begins to feel better.
There is a secondary LGBTQIA+ story that could have been more emphasized. At times it felt that it came out of nowhere and didn't flow with the story.

Ty is facing many decision and fears after having the cat removed from his arm. He is afraid to start swimming again, has issues with his body and has his inner voice putting him down all the time. During summer camp he finds support and friendship that help move forward.

I really loved this! A fun and sensitive portrayal of navigating body changes through puberty, sports injury, and friendship changes. The characters were well flushed out and handled the various challenges in compelling ways. I love that the book encourages young people to find caring adults they can trust who will walk with them on their journeys of self-discovery with empathy and experience.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A great graphic novel for kids/tweens who are getting to know themselves and their feelings. Great LBGTQIA themes and friendship too.

Ty is dealing with anxiety after recovering from an injury. He’s pushed away his friends and isn’t coping well when it’s time for his annual summer camp with friends. I liked the portrayal of anxiety in a tween boy and the LGBTQ representation.

Sink or Swim is one of the best graphic novels I have read this year! I thought the story was engaging and the art was wonderful!

This book really hit home for me. I work in a middle school and I have kiddos every day who are trying to deal with anxiety over different issues, such as appearance, grades, and friendships. This book would be perfect to recommend to them to let them know that they are not alone in feeling this way. I particularly like the part of this book where Max seeks out a trusting adult to talk to and tell his feelings to. I think when kiddos see it in print, it encourages them to be brave and consider doing it themselves in real life. With the help of his tribe, Max is able to overcome his feelings of anxiety and get back to doing all the things that he enjoys! I really enjoyed this book and I would like to thank NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to preview. I believe this book will be enjoyed by youngsters everywhere!

While I enjoyed this read, I think this would be geared to more middle and high school-aged readers; I thought this would focus more on simple themes of changing friendships and insecurities that come with growing up, but this hit on much heavier topics. That being said, I don't think younger readers couldn't connect or get much from it, but I think a lot of the experiences were told in ways that would go over the heads of a lot of younger readers. I teach 7th grade and will be adding this to my library - I think it will show kids that others go through similar experiences and that they aren't alone. Thanks for the ARC!

Many middle-grade readers will be able to relate to Max at times throughout this book. While 324 digital pages seemed a bit excessive, Max experiences a loss of identity when wearing a cast for a broken arm requires him to take a break from the swim team. The idea of getting back in the water, finding something else in common with his friends, and negative body images are great themes for this age group. This title does go a bit heavy on LGBTQ+ representation.

The artwork is engaging and lively, calling to readers that love Baby Sitters Club and Raina Telgemeier, but with a boy main character.

This is a great look at how to become a new person after an accident and how to interact with your friends again. I think any middle grade kid will like this book, because those can be the awkward years where you are trying to figure out who you want to be and where you belong.
The story and illustrations were great and kids will zip through it and probably want more!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

This graphic novel was a lot of fun to read. I had never read anything by this author before, but I will definitely be looking out for more of their works in the future. I can't wait to add it to my library's collection.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. The story had a lot of elements to it and covered many important topics. I appreciated that this graphic novel discussed anxiety and the feeling of being underwater with it. I also thought it was important that the main character was a boy dealing with this because so often the mental health of boys isn't discussed enough. I'm sure that many young people who read this graphic novel will relate to the main character. While I enjoyed the book, I don't think I will be adding it to my classroom library. Some of the topics were a bit too mature for my fifth graders to handle and understand, but this book certainly deserves a place in middle school classrooms with students who can connect with the characters.

I really loved this book and I know my students will too. The colors are beautiful, the characters are cute, the scenes are immersive. The words are pretty easy to read and the story was fun and funny. I know my students will relate to and laugh at this story. I can't wait to get it to them.