Monday, April 26, 2010

Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Every summer, Matt and his two best friends, Cooper and Sean, set a goal for themselves and compete to be the first to achieve it. In the past, they’ve done pretty random, useless things, like collecting a thousand golf balls. This summer, the guys are fifteen years old and their goal is to see a naked girl. In person. A real girl, not a picture from a magazine or online.

A guy could easily get himself into some embarrassing situations trying to do this. Then again, maybe volunteering to swim in a 100-yard butterfly race in an attempt to impress a girl although you can't actually do the butterfly could lead to even more humiliation.

If Swim the Fly by Don Calame was a movie and Ben Stiller could play a fifteen-year-old guy, he’d be Matt, and I think this describes this book pretty well. It's funny in a wince-inducing, how-many-more-embarrassing-situations-can-this-kid-find-himself-in? way that includes bodily functions, awkward moments involving relatives, and more. Fast-paced, with short chapters, this would be a great pick for teens looking for something fun to read, and especially for reluctant readers. And folks who are already fans of Swim the Fly will be pleased to know that a "quasi-sequel to Swim the Fly told from Cooper’s point of view" is in the works.

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