Swim the Fly »

Don Calame is an accomplished screen-writer who has worked with Marvel Studios and the Disney Channel, among others. About Swim the Fly, he says, “This novel began as a short piece I wrote several years ago about an incident that happened to me when I was a teenager on the swim team. (Yes, I have the collection of green fifth-place ribbons to prove it.) I tucked the story away and promptly forgot about it until my wife gently nudged me — thirty-six times — to expand it into a book. I’m grateful she was so persistent, because I’ve never had so much fun writing something in my life.” Don Calame was born in New York and now lives in British Columbia with his wife, his stepson, and their two dogs

Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Sean and Coop, always set themselves a summer-time goal. This year’s? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time. As far as Matt is concerned, they’d have better luck finding the lost city of Atlantis. But seeing a girl in the buff starts to seem like child’s play compared to the other summertime goal Matt sets for himself: to swim the 100-yard butterfly (the hardest stroke known to God or man) in order to impress Kelly West, the hot new girl. So what if he can’t manage a single lap, let alone four? He’s got the whole summer to perfect his technique. What could possibly go wrong?

“Raunchy (but mildly so) hilarity ensues.” - People Magazine

“Serves up jokes and gross-outs in the style of filmmakers like Judd Apatow. . . . Boys will probably love it. This one did.” —  The New York Times Book Review

“Hilariously raucous scenes stuff its pages.” - Los Angeles Times

The New York Times - John Schwartz

In the war between the sexes on the young adult bookshelves, Swim the Fly occupies the low ground of offensive, knuckleheaded fun. Which is to say, boys will probably love it. This one did.