Liz Lighty has always done her best to avoid the spotlight in her small, wealthy, and prom-obsessed midwestern high school, after all, her family is black and rather poor, especially since her mother died; instead she has concentrated on her grades and her musical ability in the hopes that it will win her a scholarship to elite Pennington College and their famous orchestra where she plans to study medicine--but when that scholarship falls through...

Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees - until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule: the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta - an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain - is willing to help. -- "A splashy,...