Pool Panic (Jake Maddox Girl Sports Stories)

Jenny really enjoys swimming, especially with her best friend, Maya. When school starts, Maya convinces Jenny to try out for the school’s swim team. Practice is fun, and Jenny enjoys working with the other girls and the coach. She’s ready for the meet, until she realizes the stands are full, and she develops a case of stage fright. This distraction proves to be too much, and she lets her team down. Her coach suggests doing activities that might be out of her comfort zone, like the morning announcements. She still worries about swimming in front of others so decides to get some practice laps in when she notices a small child having difficulty in the deep end. Seeing the lifeguard is busy, she jumps in and pulls the young girl to safety. Realizing she did this without worrying about who was watching, Jenny wonders if she can do this at a meet now too.

The Jake Maddox collection of sports stories are perfect for reluctant readers. These books cover just about every sport and every kind of athlete, and include realistic problems they may experience. This one is no exception _ a good fast-moving story with a relatable theme.