Will an earache derail Julia's swimming plans?Several years ago, Julia's Korean immigrant parents enrolled her in swimming lessons at the Mountain View Community Centre. It's right next door to their sushi restaurant, and it's cheaper than an afterschool program. Nine-year-old Julia's now the youngest member of the Vipers junior swim team. But one day, while she and her teammates are diving for a swim brick at the deep end, Julia is forced to cut every dive short because of a sharp pain in her ear. The next day, her coach catches on and notifies her family. At the doctor's office, she learns she has an ear infection that requires medicine. As a precaution, her mother forbids her from swimming for the next 10 days. Julia is disappointed, especially since it means she'll miss Personal Best Day, when she could qualify for a regional meet. Her doctor's advice is to keep her ear dry if she goes in the water, so Julia hatches an idea that will allow her to swim-one that unfortunately makes things even worse. After some community problem-solving, Julia still doesn't know what to do about Personal Best Day, but she comes up with a satisfying solution. Impetuous but thoughtful, Julia's a spunky protagonist whom readers will root for. Kim's spot art breaks up the text, heightening the humor and the chaos of the story's climax.As charming as its young hero. (Fiction. 7-10)

Nine-year-old Julia Nam discovered her love of swimming when her parents opened their café, Sushi on the Go!, at Mountainview Community Center. Now, while her parents work, Julia practices with her junior swim team, the Vipers, and looks forward to one day taking part in regional competitions. In the meantime, she endeavors to beat her personal best swim time during the team’s upcoming Personal Best Day. But a week before PBD, Julia develops an ear infection and must keep her ear dry for 10 days. This development—and the resulting disappointment—is made worse when she learns that nine-year-olds can now compete at regionals, but only if they post strong times on PBD. Despite her parents, coach, and friends’ attempts to help her recover, Julia is determined to compete. Readers will cheer for Julia as she pursues her goals and learns how to be a team player. Julia’s passion for swimming is infectious and palpable, as are her frustrations surrounding her limitations and her perception that others do not understand her. Via unadorned prose, Ahn (Krista Kim-Bap) deftly portrays the struggles Julia’s East Asian immigrant parents faced in establishing their business and how adversity led to the family connecting with their community, who offer a helping hand and loving support throughout. Ages 7–10. (Feb.)