Unsinkable: From Russian Orphan to Paralympic Swimming World Champion by Jessica Long
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on June 26th 2018
ISBN: 1328707253
Pages: 112
Goodreads

In a series of “moments”, Jessica Long details her journey starting with being adopted from Russia by an American family to winning multiple medals in the Paralympics.  Having both her legs amputated below the knee due to fibular hemimelia as a child, Long trains hard, swims fast, and deals with her multiple challenges with persistence and determination.  This middle grade memoir will appeal to readers interested in swimming, training for the Olympics, the Paralympics, and overcoming physical/emotional limitations. Intriguing facts, training schedules, and Paralympic insider information fill the pages (putting on an Olympic swimsuit can take up to 45 minutes), but the reader may be left longing to know more about the author’s daily struggles.  This easy to read, age-appropriate narrative addresses both Long’s physical struggles as well as her emotional conflicts including disappointment, failing, and finding her biological parents.  The colorful pictures and sidebars will easily carry 4th-8th grade readers through the slightly disorganized arrangement of “moments.”

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School District, Easton