Caterpillars Can't Swim is an encouraging story about what's possible if teens choose to accept the people around them.

The presumably small thinking within a small riverside town may have disastrous consequences in Liane Shaw's Caterpillars Can't Swim, a coming-of-age story that encourages celebrating one's differences.

With his flaming red hair and use of a wheelchair, Ryan stands out from other teens, but his unflappable attitude has always kept him safe. His best friend, Cody, is a jock and a fellow swim team member; Ryan stays under the radar of bullies and bigots. That is, until he witnesses the near drowning of a classmate. His decision to rescue Jack propels them both into the spotlight.

Jack is certain that he is the only gay teenager in town, and he's terrified of what might happen if his secret gets out. Ryan promises to stay silent, initiating a friendship that leads them both in unexpected directions.

The novel grapples with heavy and familiar teen issues, including prejudice and self-acceptance. Ryan is an able narrator whose seemingly superhuman act is mirrored in his exceptional approach to the world. He is frank in discussing the things he may be missing out on but still approaches all challenges with determination. His storytelling leaves his cerebral palsy unnamed for the first hundred pages; he prefers to frame himself, first and foremost, as a swimmer, friend, and loving son.

Jack has a harder time working through his challenges, ending up in isolation where Ryan chooses popular company. Ryan's decision to invite his classmate along on a trip to a local Comic Con—with Cody, who isn't so sure that he wants a gay friend—opens the door to a wider celebration of the unique challenges that make teens who they are, with costumed networks helping Jack toward coming out, and a beautiful young woman, Clare, catching Ryan's eye.

The novel's conclusions may be a little too pat, and worrisome figures prove remarkably easy to persuade. This is less a work to turn to for realism than it is an encouraging story about what's possible if teens choose to accept the people around them. Regarded in that light, its happier turns are easy to embrace, and its feel-good atmosphere is well worth diving into.

Caterpillars Can't Swim is an encouraging story about what's possible if teens choose to accept the people around them.

The presumably small thinking within a small riverside town may have disastrous consequences in Liane Shaw's Caterpillars Can't Swim, a coming-of-age story that encourages celebrating one's differences.

With his flaming red hair and use of a wheelchair, Ryan stands out from other teens, but his unflappable attitude has always kept him safe. His best friend, Cody, is a jock and a fellow swim team member; Ryan stays under the radar of bullies and bigots. That is, until he witnesses the near drowning of a classmate. His decision to rescue Jack propels them both into the spotlight.

Jack is certain that he is the only gay teenager in town, and he's terrified of what might happen if his secret gets out. Ryan promises to stay silent, initiating a friendship that leads them both in unexpected directions.

The novel grapples with heavy and familiar teen issues, including prejudice and self-acceptance. Ryan is an able narrator whose seemingly superhuman act is mirrored in his exceptional approach to the world. He is frank in discussing the things he may be missing out on but still approaches all challenges with determination. His storytelling leaves his cerebral palsy unnamed for the first hundred pages; he prefers to frame himself, first and foremost, as a swimmer, friend, and loving son.

Jack has a harder time working through his challenges, ending up in isolation where Ryan chooses popular company. Ryan's decision to invite his classmate along on a trip to a local Comic Con—with Cody, who isn't so sure that he wants a gay friend—opens the door to a wider celebration of the unique challenges that make teens who they are, with costumed networks helping Jack toward coming out, and a beautiful young woman, Clare, catching Ryan's eye.

The novel's conclusions may be a little too pat, and worrisome figures prove remarkably easy to persuade. This is less a work to turn to for realism than it is an encouraging story about what's possible if teens choose to accept the people around them. Regarded in that light, its happier turns are easy to embrace, and its feel-good atmosphere is well worth diving into.

Gr 8 Up—A standard problem novel discussing small-town life as a gay teen. Ryan is thrust into the position of hero when he saves a classmate from drowning in the local river. A member of the school's swim team, Ryan enjoys the freedom swimming gives him away from his wheelchair. Jack, the person Ryan rescued, was escaping to the water for a different reason: he is afraid the small-town community he lives in would not accept him once they knew that he is gay. Everyone calls Jack's near-drowning an accident, and Ryan continues to keep Jack's secret for him while realizing how difficult it is to be someone's rescuer. This story is told entirely from Ryan's perspective, and he forms a relationship seemingly out of obligation as the one who rescued Jack. They never truly develop a friendship, as Jack doesn't seem any more interested in spending time with Ryan than Ryan does with Jack. The difficulties of living as a queer person in a small town are not truly explored, either, and Jack's second unsuccessful suicide attempt near the conclusion of this book makes it difficult to recommend to LGBTQ teens. The overall story has the feel of an after-school special without the hopeful ending; Jack does survive, but he does not thrive. VERDICT A strictly additional purchase for large libraries.—Jenni Frencham, Columbus Public Library, WI