Aniana Del Mar Jumps in by Jasminne Mendez

Aniana Del Mar Jumps in

Jasminne Mendez

Penguin Young Readers Group · Hardcover · March 14, 2023

Pura Belpré Author Honor Award ** Four starred reviews!** A powerful and expertly told novel in verse, by an award-winning poet, about a twelve-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis.

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Who it’s for
A verse novel brings swimming, chronic illness, and family tension into close, heartfelt focus.
Themes
Chronic illness and disability, Mother-daughter secrets, Bodily agency
Genres
Special Needs, Water Sports, Illness & Injury

About this book

Pura Belpré Author Honor Award ** Four starred reviews!** A powerful and expertly told novel in verse, by an award-winning poet, about a twelve-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis. Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago.

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That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water, but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming, along with medication, will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most—and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat. "Beautiful in its honesty and vulnerability, this is a powerful story about dreams and bodily agency that sings from the heart.”—Natalia Sylvester, award-winning author of Breathe and Count Back From Ten

Finding Her Stroke

A verse novel brings swimming, chronic illness, and family tension into close, heartfelt focus.

Come here for

  • A young swimmer’s changing relationship with her body
  • Mother-daughter secrets and the pull of the water

Expect

  • Poetic, accessible storytelling
  • Small triumphs alongside grief and uncertainty

Where it sits

Water Sports71%
Special Needs61%
Illness & Injury50%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • US: Hispanic & Latino Stories
  • Illness & Injury
  • Water Sports
Authors
Jasminne Mendez
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
March 14, 2023
Format
Hardcover
Theme
Chronic illness and disability · Mother-daughter secrets · Bodily agency
Reading lane
US: Hispanic & Latino Stories