SWIM THE FLY

SWIM THE FLY

by Don Calame

2009

345 Pages

From Back Cover:

Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Sean and Coop, always set themselves a summertime goal. This year's? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time. As far as Matt is concerned, they'd have better luck finding the lost city of Atlantis. But seeing a girl in the buff starts to seem like child's play compared to the other summertime goal Matt sets for himself: to swim the 100-yard butterfly(the hardest stroke known to God or man) in order to impress Kelly West, the hot new girl. So what if he can't manage a single lap, let alone four? He's got the whole summer to perfect his technique. What could possibly go wrong?

My thoughts:

This story is laugh out loud funny! I don't remember laughing this much since I read Spud by John van de Ruit. This is the tale of three teenage boy's quest-to see a real-live naked girl. But Matt has a bigger problem than just the summer time challenge. In a moment of blind love he volunteers to swim the butterfly for his swim team to impress his crush. Although he's been on the swim team for a few years he's a mediocre swimmer at best. To say that he's in over his head is a huge understatement.

Luckily his friends have his back on both counts. These three best friends dream up schemes galore in an attempt to reach their summer goal. Of course things will go wrong at every turn because they are awkward, dumb boys that do before they think. We are just lucky enough to be along for the ride.

I loved the relationship between the three friends. And found myself not wanting the story to end. I wanted to hang out with these guys just a little longer and laugh a little more.

Yahoo!! The adventure continues with Coop. Don Calame has another book coming out in the Fall of 2010 called Beat the Band. I can't wait to pick it up where we left off and find out what trouble Coop will undoubtedly be getting himself in to.

I recommend this book for readers ages 14 and up.

Thanks to the nice folks at Candlewick Press who gave me the opportunity to read and review this book. I will be saving it to give away as a prize to one lucky winner at my summer reading program at the Salmon Public Library.