Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 03/17/2025 Chinese American 12-year-old Esme Sun yearns to make her strict single mother as proud of her as she is of her talented older sisters. For now, the start of summer marks the beginning of swim team season, when being outside and hanging out by the pool is more important than parental approval. Esme relishes the freedom and easy camaraderie she cultivates with her teammates at her beloved neighborhood pool, but upon discovering that her recent growth spurt has given her a competitive edge, she wonders if swimming might be something she could excel at. As Esme starts to focus on winning, she grapples with what it means to be both a supportive friend and a strong competitor-when her mom starts attending meets, Esme realizes that her mother’s support carries an unsportsmanlike undertone as she encourages Esme to view other swimmers as enemies despite being on the same team. Shang (The Secret Battle of Evan Pao) weaves a compelling tapestry of perennial tween anxieties, threading myriad subjects such as feeling pressured to act more mature, fear of saying the wrong thing, and the stress of familial expectations into a briskly paced tale of sports and community. Ages 8-12. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (June) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 04/01/2025 Gr 3–7—Chinese American Esme Sun has made a promise that the upcoming summer will be one of "zero intensity." At least that's what she promises Tegan, the cool girl from Esme's class who thinks she is too intense. Esme is determined to do something right, given that her mother is not too happy that she doesn't earn awards like her three overachieving older sisters. At the summer opening of Deep Woods Pool, Esme has a run-in with a Black girl named Kaya, who she mistakenly believes is drowning and calls Old Joe the lifeguard to save. As it turns out, Kaya is a capable swimmer and didn't need rescuing; in fact, she's on the same swim team with Esme and Tegan. Despite the fact that her mother doesn't pay attention to her or her swimming, Esme begins to win many of her freestyle races and sets her sights on breaking the pool record for her age and helping Kaya improve her flip turns. As she continues to shave seconds off her swim times, her mother gets wind of Esme's success and begins to attend a few swim meets. Disappointingly, Mom's only intentions are to see Esme break the pool record and nothing less will impress her. Throughout the story, Esme learns to rely on her inner voice and strength to find both big and small successes that meet the only person's standards who really matter—her own. VERDICT A delightful addition to the shelves, highlighting the power of friendship and overcoming obstacles, both big and small.—Tracy Cronce - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.