The Weight of Water

Crossan, Sarah. The Weight of Water. Bloomsbury, 2012.

Kasienka and her mom move to England with just a suitcase and the clothes on their backs. They are struggling to survive in a new culture, and Kasienka finds that her swim time at the local pool is one of the few things that helps her to survive. When she's swimming, her language doesn't matter, the money her family has doesn't matter, the fact that her mother is still searching for her absent father doesn't matter. Kasienka learns to deal with her difficult life through her time in the pool.

I am not a big fan of books in verse, so I didn't enjoy this book as much as my Hopkins fans will. I am glad for a book that describes the immigrant experience and gives a picture into the life some teens deal with at home, but this one will be a hard sell with all but my strong readers. Most of my kids won't have the patience for a barely discernible plot.

Recommended for: teens, fans of books in verse
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars