Caterpillars Can't Swim

by Liane Shaw

Overview

Ryan finds his freedom in the water, where he is not bound by gravity and his wheelchair. When he rescues his schoolmate, Jack, from the water their lives become connected, whether they like it or not. Ryan keeps Jack's secret about that day in the water, but he knows that Jack needs help. The school is full of rumors about Jack's sexuality, and he has few friends. Almost against his better judgement, Ryan decides to invite Jack on a trip to Comic Con he's planned with his best friend Cody, the captain of the school's swim team. The three boys make an unlikely combination, but they will each have the chance to show whether they are brave enough to go against the stereotypes the world wants to define them by.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772600544
Publisher:	Second Story Press
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Liane Shaw is the author of several books for teens, including thinandbeautiful.com, Fostergirls, The Color of Silence, and Don't Tell, Don't Tell, Don't Tell. Liane was an educator for more than 20 years. Now retired from teaching, Liane lives with her family in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario. www.lianeshaw.com

Editorial Reviews

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

Foreword Reviews

In Caterpillars Can’t Swim, [Liane Shaw] examines the prejudices people exert on those who are different – whether those differences are perceived or real – and crafts a plot that ensures understanding and acceptance.... By casting Ryan, whose cerebral palsy defines him for so many, in the role of hero, Shaw changes up the expected narrative.

Quill & Quire

This is a strong addition to the canon of literature in Canada that works within realms of sexual diversity and disability. A thought-provoking and compelling narrative that teenage fans of character-driven books will definitely enjoy.

Canadian Review of Materials

Booklist
November 15, 2017

Unable to walk because of his cerebral palsy, 16-year-old Ryan is resigned to living in his wheelchair—except when he’s in the water. “I seriously love being in the water,” he tells readers in his first-person story, explaining that when he’s in the pool, gravity is no longer his enemy and he can move around “like anyone else.” As a result, he has become a talented swimmer and is a member of his high- school team. His skill in the water becomes imperative when he rescues Jack, a classmate, from drowning, and in the process learns two unwanted secrets: Jack was attempting suicide and he’s gay. Ryan, who is straight, keeps Jack’s secrets while the two boys begin a cautious friendship. Jack becomes increasingly determined to come out, though he’s terrified at what his religious, single-parent mother might think. Concerned, Ryan wants to help, but what can he do? Shaw has written a compassionate, well-crafted story about two boys dealing bravely with challenges and finding support in friendship.

Booklist

2017-12-06
A white boy with cerebral palsy feels responsible for the gay classmate he saves from drowning.When 17-year-old Ryan swims, his wheelchair doesn't matter. So when he sees a skirted figure jump into the river, he dives to the rescue. To his shock, the figure is Jack, a white boy. Jack, terrified of coming out to his "über-religious" mother, charges Ryan with keeping his suicide attempt a secret. Overwhelmed, Ryan agrees, reluctantly becoming Jack's confidant. Their entire relationship consists of Jack's neediness and Ryan's pity, and this patronizing dynamic insults everyone concerned. Seen only through Ryan's perspective, Jack is little more than a constant source of exhaustion and anxiety. Nevertheless, Ryan invites Jack to attend Comic Con with him and his white, "pretty much homophobic, relatively racist" best friend, Cody. Though Jack finds acceptance in Comic Con's open-minded atmosphere, he quickly reverts to an object of pity. Shaw (The Color of Silence, 2013, etc.) compares Ryan's disability and Jack's sexuality to show their struggles in a small town, but Ryan misses a glaring parallel: he's no more Jack's friend than the "forced helpers" assigned to him in school were his. Ryan is understandably out of his depth, but his martyrdom is also unfair to Jack, who clearly needs mentoring and an honest friendship.There are far more nuanced portrayals of gay teens out there—this one can be left on the shelf. (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Review