The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun

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.