Julia on the Go! The Big Splash

Julia is back in the pool in Julia on the Go! The Big Splash by Angela Ahn and Julie Kim.

Julia is back in the pool after her little incident with super glue and a plastic container. She is sad to learn that Coach Marissa  has to go away for a little while and Coach Nathan will be taking over. He is VERY different from Coach Marissa and much harder on the swimmers. He even takes away Splash Time. When the team needs to do some fundraising for Coach Nathan they are naturally not very enthused but when they discover why, it’s all hands on deck.

Angela Ahn’s Julia on the Go! series is such a good read for younger middle grade readers. I love The Big Splash because in this story Julia has a lot to navigate. Missing a favourite coach and learning a new coaching style can be really difficult for young athletes and, as in the story, can cause athletes to decide to leave the sport they love. Learning how to manage when a new person comes in and also feeling sad and missing the person who is away are real feelings that young readers will navigate. I love how Angela Ahn reminds readers about perseverance, learning to not let first impressions create judgement, and that we all have different tastes in food and coaching styles.

I really loved how Julia’s friendships evolved in this story. Just like Angela Ahn was creating a theme about first impressions of a coach, Julia is also learning about first impressions when it comes to friendship. Friendships change and grow over time and especially for those in this series demographic. It’s a story that reminds readers to dig below the surface before deciding how you feel about a person.

Julie Kim’s illustrations helped the story move along at a perfect pace. I love illustrated novels for younger middle grade readers as they are less intimidating for readers who are just beginning their foray into longer stories. The break in the text offers the opportunity to engage more in the story and reflect on the character journeys. Julie Kim perfectly captures the Vipers and all of Julia’s extended family and chosen family.