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Recommended Reads: Swimming and swimmers
Whether you're headed to the pool or the beach, this book list is sure to make a splash.
Lose yourself in some beach read novels, instructions on swimming, or the lives of noted swimmers!
“The water is your friend. You don’t have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move.”
— Aleksandr Popov
Digital book (DB), braille (BR), large print (LT), and audio-described videos (DVD) copies of these titles are available from Perkins Library or the Worcester Talking Book Library. Please contact Perkins Library to order any of these books.
Original list prepared by Patricia Ahearn, Reader Advisor (retired)
Updated and revised by James Gleason, Deputy Director/Special Services Librarian
The Awakening and Selected Stories
by Kate Chopin
DB 33806, BR 8894, available as BARD download
The Awakening, a novel first published in 1899, tells of a liberated woman who rebels against the constraints of marriage. Her intense swimming represents her desire for freedom. 1984.
Sixty-Six Laps
by Leslie Spirson
BR 13024, available as BARD download
Thirty-two-year-old new mother Audrey fights aging by swimming a daily mile in her backyard pool. But her enjoyable life begins unraveling when her husband befriends a female coworker, who Audrey suspects desires him. Paranoia causes Audrey to contemplate an affair of her own. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2000.
A Matter of Heart
by Amy Fellner Dominy
DBC 12851, available as BARD download
To sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman competitive swimming is everything, and she’s on track to qualify for the Olympics. But after a fainting spell at a swim meet – and a diagnosis of a deadly heart condition – she’s forced to find out who she is outside of the pool. For junior and senior high. 2018.
Aniana del Mar Jumps In
by Jasmine Méndez
DB 113360, JL 01106, available as BARD download
A powerful and expertly told novel-in-verse by an award-winning poet about a twelve-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis. 2023.
Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior’s Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield To Gold Medal Victory
by Brad Snyder
DB 86882, BR 21816, available as BARD download
Memoir of a former Navy SEAL blinded during his deployment in Afghanistan. Snyder discusses his combat experience, his recovery after losing his sight on the battlefield in 2011, and the competitive swimming that led him to win a gold medal at the London Paralympic Games in 2012. Some violence. 2016.
Born in Sin
by Evelyn Coleman
DB 55901, available as BARD download
Fourteen-year-old Keisha wants to go to a summer program for aspiring doctors. Instead, her guidance counselor places her in a program for at-risk kids. There Keisha discovers her innate swimming ability, learns to deal with prejudice, and makes new friends. Some violence and some strong language. For senior high readers. 2001.
Fat Boy Swim
by Catherine Forde
BR 15876, available as BARD download
Scottish teen Jimmy is teased mercilessly for being overweight. When the swimming coach discovers Jimmy’s secret cooking skills, he trades swim lessons for Jimmy’s help with a fundraiser. Jimmy unexpectedly excels at the sport and also develops an interest in visually impaired Ellie. For junior and senior high readers. 2003.
Gold in the Water: The True Story of Ordinary Men and Their Extraordinary Dream of Olympic Glory
by P. H. Mullen
DB 56039, available as BARD download
Chronicles the arduous years of training of the 2000 U.S. Olympic swim team that led to victory in Australia. Follows coach Dick Jochums and his team, including two athletes with asthma who overcame their medical condition to succeed. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2001.
Grayson
by Lynne Cox
DB 63873, BR 16883, available as BARD download
Author recalls an encounter from her teenage years when a baby gray whale followed her during a long-distance training swim along the California coast. Describes communicating with the calf she called Grayson and battling fatigue, fifty-five-degree water, and dehydration to protect him until he was reunited with his mother. Bestseller. 2006.
Haunts of the Black Masseur: The Swimmer as Hero
by Charles Sprawson
DB 37162, available as BARD download
The swimming habits of various writers and artists throughout history (Johann Goethe, Lord Byron, Thomas Eakins, etc.) and the swimming references that appeared in their work provide much of Sprawson’s paean to the sport. The history of swimming, with emphasis on the British, is also discussed, as are some unusual record holders and the author’s own swimming experiences. 1992.
Head Above Water
by S. L. Rottman
BR 13124, available as BARD download
High school junior Skye is on the swim team and looks after her older brother, Sunny, who has Down syndrome, while their single mother works two jobs. When popular Mike begins dating Skye, she has to be devious to find the time. For junior and senior high readers. 1999.
In Lane Three, Alex Archer
by Tessa Duder
DB 34992, available as BARD download
Swimmer Alex Archer wants to represent New Zealand in the 1960 Olympic games in Rome. She also wants to play hockey, take ballet, study music, and perform in plays. This lack of total devotion to swimming is noticed by her boyfriend, Andy, her parents, her coach, and by Alex herself. But she remains devoted to her varied interests, until Andy is killed in an accident. For junior and senior high readers. New Zealand Children’s Book of the Year. 1987.
Inside Swimming
by Don Schollander
DB 12411, available as BARD download
Basic step-by-step guide to competitive swimming techniques by an Olympic medalist. Includes descriptions of strokes and tips on water safety, training, and strategy. For high school and adult readers. 1974.
Lane Four
by Suzanne Greenya
DB 17059, BR 4827, available as BARD download
Marty has been a swimming star since she was ten. She always finishes first–in the water. Lately, though, she had asked herself if winning at swimming is worth losing the boy she cares about. For junior and senior high readers. 1974.
Mermaids on the Moon
by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
DB 57566, available as BARD download
From a small town in Indiana, France goes to Mermaid Springs, Florida, in search of her missing mother, Grendy, a synchronized swimmer. In the process, France discovers truths about her family, her mother’s colorful circle of friends, and herself. 2002.
Other Shores
by Diana Nyad
DB 13409, available as BARD download
An account of the remarkable athletic achievements and indefatigable spirit of the young woman whose goal was to become the best swimmer in the world. Describes the motivations that obsess a marathon swimmer. 1978.
Swimming Past 50
by Mel Goldstein
DB 53029, available as BARD download
Co-author, Dave Tanner. Tips and techniques for the older swimmer. Includes training programs and the basics of the sport as well as information about the aging process. Offers sample workouts and advice on the prevention of injuries. 1999.
Teaching an Infant to Swim
by Virginia Newman
DB 22253, available as BARD download
Gentle, natural way of teaching water safety to infants beginning at age 8 months. If simple, proven methods are used, the author believes that helping children gain confidence in the water can be delightful for both parent and child. 1983.
The Fifty-Meter Jungle: How Olympic Gold Medal Swimmers Are Made
by Sherman Chavour
DB 8601, available as BARD download
The man who coached Mark Spitz to Olympic stardom tells the inside story of competitive swimming. For high school and adult readers. 1973.
The Fit Swimmer: 120 Workouts and Training Tips
by Marianne Brems
DB 30796, BR 8147, available as BARD download
Offers a plan for workouts that will give swimmers a change from their normal routine, make them faster swimmers, and challenge them to work harder. Each workout describes the stroke to be used, the distance to be covered, and the time in which it should be accomplished. 1984.
The Million Dollar Mermaid
by Esther Williams
DB 48987, available as BARD download
Bestseller. Williams describes the movie spectaculars she made for MGM Studios and the physical injuries she sustained. She also discusses her traumatic childhood (the death of her oldest brother and being raped at thirteen), her place on the cancelled 1940 Olympic team, her use of LSD, and her four marriages. 1999.
Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster, and Easier
by Terry Laughlin
DB 59654, available as BARD download
Coach and editor of “Fitness Swimmer” describes techniques for becoming a more efficient swimmer. Covers training, racing, balance, and moves to learn for fishlike motion through the water. Includes drills, tips, and dry land exercises for strength, suppleness, and slimming. Revised edition. 2004.
We Swam the Grand Canyon
by Bill Beer
DB 29828, available as BARD Download
In 1955, the author and John Daggett set out to swim the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. This was daredevilry and illegal. Their equipment was primitive: army-surplus rubber boxes, thin rubber shirts, long johns, and swim fins. They filmed their twenty-one day adventure. 1989.
Download We Swam the Grand Canyon, DB 29828
Whale Talk
by Chris Crutcher
DB 52057, BR 13547, available as BARD download
Talented, multiracial teen T.J. Jones shuns organized sports but agrees to help his favorite teacher pull together a swim team. He attracts a group of misfits who become buddies and champions–earning the ire of the school jocks, whose bullying erupts into violence. Strong language and some violence. For senior high readers. 2001.
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