Thirteen-year-old Annabelle struggles in school, no matter how hard she tries. But as soon as she dives into the pool, she's unstoppable. She's the fastest girl on the middle school swim team, and when she's asked to join the high school team over the summer, everything changes. Suddenly, she's got new friends, and a high school boy starts treating her like she's somebody special — and Annabelle thinks she'll finally stand out in a good way. She'll do anything to fit in and help the team make it to the Labor Day Invitational, even if it means blowing off her old friends.
But after a prank goes wrong, Annabelle is abandoned by the older boy and can't swim. Who is she without the one thing she's good at? Heartwarming and relatable, Up for Air is a story about where we find our self-worth.
"Debut author Morrison, a former teacher, realistically captures the challenges of middle school — complicated family dynamics, volatile friendships, and first love — in this story about a girl struggling to find where she belongs.... Annabelle is both innocent and rebellious, creating an inconsistency that feels genuine for her age group, and her worries about doing well in school and fitting in socially are palpable. By avoiding a picture-perfect ending, Morrison stays true to the maddeningly uncertain years of middle school, depicting all of its in-between-ness with spot-on accuracy." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 11 - 14 |
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Author | Laurie Morrison |
ISBN | 1419733664 |
Publication Date | May 7, 2019 |
Publisher | Amulet Books |
Language | English |