Diary of a Super Swimmer by Shamini Flint

Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN: 9781743318843.
(Ages: 7 to 11) Highly recommended. Following on from the success of five previous titles in the series, Shamini Flint brings Marcus Atkinson back in Diary of a Super Swimmer. At nine years old, Marcus hopes that his dad has finally run out of sports to make him try, and that he'll finally be left alone to play his computer games. His dad has other plans though, and is convinced that the only reason Marcus hasn't been good at any of his previous sporting endeavours is that they have been on land . . . So to Marcus' absolute horror, it's off to the swimming pool, for a series of embarrassing but hilarious adventures. Through his journey Marcus learns something about himself, and about his sister Gemma, which adds a nice twist to the ending.
As with all in the series, the easy-to read diary format and the cleverly drawn cartoons will entice even the most reluctant reader to pick these up again and again. The sports theme always resonates with children, and whether they love sports or are more like Marcus himself, they will find it easy to identify with the characters and situations in this book. Not only will kids love reading about Marcus' misadventures, they will also learn a lot about sport!
Donella Reed