Up for Air

(Hardback)

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Description

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 Airis a story about where we find our self-worth.

Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"An awesome swimmer with a frustrating learning disability struggles in the roiling waters of adolescence . . . Readers will root for [Annabelle] as she ricochets between ebullience and despair, empathy and hurt, confidence and doubt, pride and self-loathing--we've been there, too, or soon will be. Captures the turmoil of adolescence with wisdom and humor in near-pointillist detail."-- "Kirkus Reviews"
**STARRED REVIEW**
"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."-- "Publishers Weekly"

Author Bio

Laurie Morrisontaught middle school for 10 years before writingEvery Shiny Thing, her middle-grade debut with co-author Cordelia Jensen. She received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Philadelphia.