As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(4)
4-6
Truth Trendon blames "gravity, the force pulling everything (my spine included) toward the earth" for her scoliosis. Truth hides her brace from classmates as she starts junior high, and her deception leads to some funny moments and eventually to a predictable message about self-acceptance; some peers have secrets as well. Truth's first-person narration often sounds like an adult voice in this light problem novel.
(3)
4-6
Rachel Brooks had been looking forward to seventh grade until her doctor prescribed a back brace for scoliosis. The rigid brace makes shopping for clothes terrible, threatens her role on the soccer team, and elicits cruel teasing (including the unfortunate name "Robo-Beast"); even her mother (who also had scoliosis) doesn't seem understanding. Rachel's struggle to fit in despite looking different is poignant and believable.