Willie, Bobby and Freddy head to their community pool one hot summer day in this beginning reader from author/illustrator Leonard Kessler. While Willie and Bobby are accomplished swimmers, Freddy is just beginning, and is not allowed into the deep end of the pool. When he is pushed in by two older bullies, he has a frightening experience, and is rescued from drowning by the pool lifeguard. Although this causes some initial reluctance on his part to return to the pool, eventually Freddy does go back, learning to swim from Tom the lifeguard, and standing up to the bullies who pushed him into the pool...

Originally published in 1969, Last One In Is a Rotten Egg is a book that I owned as a young girl, and that I have fond memories of reading. The simple text is paired with engaging artwork in color, and the book as a whole explores some important themes, from water safety to conquering one's fears, not to mention the importance of confronting bullies. Although it's not something I recall remarking upon as a girl, rereading this as an adult I am struck by the interracial friendship of Euro-Americans Freddy and Bobby with African-American Willie, and that this is simply not commented upon in the text. Given that the book was created and published in the 1960s, a few short years after swimming pools were desegregated by law, it's difficult not to think that this was a deliberate choice on Kessler's part, and perhaps a statement. The two girls who challenge Willie and Bobby to a race, at one point, are also diverse - one African-American, the other either Euro-American or Latino.

This book provided an enjoyable reread for me, and I would recommend it to beginning readers looking for enjoyable summer stories, or tales featuring swimming and/or addressing bullying. ( )

While this wasn't necessarily a stimulating book for me to read out loud, it got across several good messages. Keep trying, don't give up, succeeding takes perseverance, standing up against bullies, helping others. Pretty decent spread considering its length and age range. ( )

Very good story that deals with friendship, comaraderie, and determination. This book can be used for reading comprehension. ( )