About the Book
When twelve-year-old Rachel learns that her scoliosis has worsened and she'll need to wear a back brace to keep her spine straight, she's devastated, afraid that she won't be able to play soccer, and terrified that she won't be able to hide her condition from her friends and classmates--but her mother's determined to spare her the spinal fusion surgery that she herself had as a teenager.Book Synopsis
The first contemporary novel about a disease that bends the lives of ten percent of all teenagers: scoliosis.Rachel Brooks is excited for the new school year. She's finally earned a place as a forward on her soccer team. Her best friends make everything fun. And she really likes Tate, and she's pretty sure he likes her back. After one last appointment with her scoliosis doctor, this will be her best year yet.Then the doctor delivers some terrible news: The sideways curve in Rachel's spine has gotten worse, and she needs to wear a back brace twenty-three hours a day. The brace wraps her in hard plastic from shoulder blades to hips. It changes how her clothes fit, how she kicks a ball, and how everyone sees her--even her friends and Tate. But as Rachel confronts all the challenges the brace presents, the biggest change of all may lie in how she sees herself. Written by a debut author who wore a brace of her own, Braced is the inspiring, heartfelt story of a girl learning to manage the many curves life throws her way.From the Back Cover
Bracing for a change Rachel Brooks is excited for the new school year. She's finally earned a place as a forward on her soccer team. Her best friends make everything fun. And she really likes Tate, and she's pretty sure he likes her bReview Quotes
About the Author
Alyson Gerber is the author of critically acclaimed, own-voices novels Braced and Focused. She is a graduate of The New School's MFA in Writing for Children and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and daughter. Visit her at alysongerber.com and find her everywhere else at @alysongerber.