Cover of Swim Team

Swim Team

by Johnnie Christmas

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas is assigned in US schools at grades 3–7. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 5 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Swim Team is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 3–7
Age range
Ages 8–12
Pages
251
Reading time
about 4h 35m (est.)
First published
2022
Genre
Middle Grade Graphic Novel
ISBN-13
9780063056770
Buy on AmazonListen free on Audible

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-clickListen free on Audible30-day trial

Audible: new members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership.

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

About this book

When Bree moves to Florida and the only elective with open seats is swimming, she has to confront a deep fear of the water — with coaching from an older neighbor who once swam competitively. Johnnie Christmas's Eisner-winning graphic novel threads the history of Black Americans and swimming into a grades 3-7 underdog sports story.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 3–7. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on perseverance and friendship; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

perseverance · friendship · race · courage

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Swim Team→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Swim Team?
Swim Team is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–7. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Swim Team?
It takes about 4h 35m to read Swim Team (251 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 275 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Swim Team?
Swim Team appears on reading lists for Battle of the Books (state reading programs), Garden State Children's Book Award, Great Stone Face Book Award, and 2 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Swim Team banned in schools?
Swim Team does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Swim Team explore?
Central themes in Swim Team include perseverance, friendship, race, courage. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 3–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 5 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.