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“Readers will cheer for Julia as she pursues her goals and learns how to be a team player. Julia’s passion for swimming is infectious and palpable, as are her frustrations surrounding her limitations and her perception that others do not understand her. . . . Via unadorned prose, Ahn deftly portrays the struggles Julia’s East Asian immigrant parents faced in establishing their business and how adversity led to the family connecting with their community, who offer a helping hand and loving support throughout.”

Publishers Weekly

Swimming into Trouble (Julia on the Go! #1)

Written by Angela Ahn
Illustrated by Julie Kim
Published by Tundra Books

As a member of the Vipers Swim Team, Julia Nam’s always in the pool. Mountainview Community Center is like her second home, not only because swimming at the aquatic center is her favorite thing in the world, but also because her parents run the center’s sushi café. Julia would much rather be in the pool than sitting behind the counter of Sushi on the Go! watching other people swim.

She’s the youngest swimmer on the team, but definitely not the slowest. Julia can’t wait for Personal Best Day — the most important day for all of the swimmers. If their times are good enough, they can enter a big regional swim meet.

But then the worst thing happens. A sharp pain in Julia’s ear reveals an infection and she’s forbidden to swim for ten days. How can she get timed during Personal Best Day when she’s not allowed in the water?

Julia is desperate to get back in the pool, even if it means having to go behind her parents’ backs in order to do so. But Julia’s solution lands her in a sticky situation, and it’s going to require the entire community center to come together to help her out of it!

Don’t miss the rest of the series! Explore:

Primary ISBN: 9781774881880
Publication Date: February 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Chapter Book, Age 07 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Canada

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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