Rivera, Lilliam. Barely Floating. Kokila, 08/2023. 240pp. Fiction. Trade $17.99. 978-0-593-32312-0. GRADES 4–7. OUTSTANDING.
Bold and brash twelve-year-old Natalia de la Cruz Rivera y Santiago finds a path toward fulfilling her swimming dreams. Vibrant and outspoken, Nat has a love for all things sparkly and beauty-related, though her parents don’t approve. Yet it is her strong family foundation that bolsters the confidence enabling her to separate her dreams from theirs, as she pursues a sport not known for valuing a strong, beautiful, “fat and proud” Latina like herself. Others may (temporarily) underestimate Nat, but her activist mother’s powerful support and her own attitude toward her size are refreshingly affirming. As she navigates changing friendships, close family relationships, and a range of emotional challenges, she finds her own unique inspirations as she develops skills both in the pool and out. Like synchronized swimming, Barely Floating puts on full display the power of believing in yourself, supporting one another, and floating when life seems determined to pull you down.
Alexandre Petrakis—San Francisco Public Library