Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Feel-good, middle-grade story brimming with positivity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
BARELY FLOATING is the story of Nat, short for Natalia, a 12-year-old fat and proud Latina. During the summer, Nat sees an artistic swimming demonstration (formerly known as synchronized swimming) and immediately falls in love with the sport. And she's eager to prove to anyone and everyone who thinks she can't do it that she can. The only trouble? Her parents don't approve of the sport and won't give her permission to join the team. So in order to get what she wants, Nat builds a web of lies to hide her participation from her parents. She knows it's wrong, and she swears she's going to come clean soon, but each little lie has a way of growing into a bigger one, until she's firmly stuck in the web. Not to mention her strained relationship with best friend Joanne as their interests change and diverge. What will happen to Nat, her family, and her friendship when the truth finally, inevitably, comes out?
Is It Any Good?
This lively and engaging story holds up well thanks to relatable narrator Nat. Barely Floating takes on some important issues, but their seriousness is balanced by main character Nat's sense of empowerment and good sense of humor. Lilliam Rivera keeps the story moving at an even clip with entertaining dialogue and intriguing, well-developed characters. This fresh middle grade story takes on body positivity, anti-fat and racial bias, community, family, and equal access to sports, and readers will cheer for Nat as she proves wrong anyone who tells her she can't do something.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Barely Floating shows Nat's body positivity. Why is it important to be proud of your body and what it can do?
Is Nat a good role model? What are her character strengths? What are her weaknesses?
Why is it important to read books and view other media with a variety of kinds of people? How important is it to see ourselves represented, and what can we learn when we see people who are different from ourselves?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Activism , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Communication , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Kokila
- Publication date : August 29, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 240
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 3, 2025
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