Braced - by Alyson Gerber

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 b

Review Quotes

Praise for Braced: Rachel's story is about more than straightening a spine; it's about expanding the human heart. Braced earns it place on the shelf with other titles promoting empathy and compassion. -- Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky and Audacity Jones Steals the ShowAlyson Gerber's Braced is a rare gem of a novel: intimate and engrossing at once. Rachel is the best kind of character -- vibrant and brave, struggling and strong, and most of all impossible not to root for and relate to. A lovely and deep book that will get readers right in the heart. -- Corey Ann Haydu, author of Rules for Stealing StarsBraced is an honest, inspirational story about perseverance in the face of adversity. Readers will come away wishing they could be best friends with Rachel and believing that they, too, are stronger than they ever expected. -- Alison Cherry, author of The Classy Crooks ClubRachel gives us an inspiring look into coping with the challenge of bracing and many of us have trouble putting into words. Join Rachel as she discovers her voice in her brace! This book is an important read for all Curvy Girls and anyone who loves and supports one! -- Leah Stoltz, founder and president, Curvy Girls FoundationThe author doesn't diminish Rachel's difficulties, but at heart her story is uplifting . . . Comparisons to Judy Blume's Deenie might be inevitable, but Rachel stands admirably on her own. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewA masterfully constructed and highly empathetic debut about a different kind of acceptance. -- Booklist, starred review

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.