Marley Jones is starting fifth grade: a new school; a new sport; a new home. She wanted to do dance, but instead her parents got divorced, and she ended up in after-school swimming because some quack-job counselor told her dad it was a good way to blow off steam.

And Marley hates swimming. Every practice is a gift of chlorine-scented hair, ear water, and creepy, can’t-get-out-of-your-head shark facts that the popular girls keep telling her to make her squirm. The only good part of swim team is Omar, whose award-winning belly-flop could make a goat laugh.

But even Omar’s belly-flop won’t be enough to keep Marley sane if she can’t fix things with the popular girls, escape counseling, and stop her best friend from moving to Alaska.

The Deep End of Life is as charming in its shallows as it is poignant in its depths. Marley’s story and voice leap with charm, while the struggle with her parents’ divorce and her experience with therapy give the story weight and soul. A refreshing book for young readers and parents alike. -ALLISON K. HYMAS, AUTHOR OF THE EXPLORER’S CODE