Swing

Gr 5 Up–Meeker combines character, plotting, and setting in the art and dialogue to make her debut a satisfying whole. Bespectacled Marcus faces the school year unhappy, with expectations that he will remain engaged in soccer. Plus, he is far from thrilled when last year’s school outcast Izzy is paired with him for an English assignment and as a PE partner in a dance unit where they are learning swing. Izzy eschews caring about her social status, and she doesn’t trust Marcus since he is obligated to partner with her and refuses to be much help with carrying the load. Meanwhile, Max, a teammate and (soon to be former) friend, turns his bullying on Marcus. Marcus is a terrible dancer when he, being male, leads; when Izzy demands they switch roles, he improves—enough that they place second in the school talent show. Meeker’s compelling and unusual ways to show motion and her capacity for honest facial expressions seem limitless. The adults are stereotypical but in ways young teens will read as accurate. A tidy and happy ending may be less believable, but readers will be rooting for Marcus and Izzy. Main teen characters are depicted as white, while the supporting cast is more diverse.