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Breathing Underwater by Abbey Lee Nash

Breathing Underwater

Abbey Lee Nash, Abbey Nash

Candlewick Press · Hardcover · March 5, 2024

With one word, Tess’s world could be completely undone: Epilepsy.

Coming of AgeYA Illness & Disease StoriesDisabilities & Special Needs for Teenssports
More
girls
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Who it’s for
A compact, practice-minded read that blends movement, identity, and the pull of sport.
Genres
Disabilities & Special Needs for Teens, YA Illness & Disease Stories, Coming of Age
Published
Candlewick Press, March 5, 2024

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For younger readers: Bea Mullins Takes a Shot, Crushing It

For older readers: Swimming in Paris

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About this book

With one word, Tess’s world could be completely undone: Epilepsy. Tess lives for swimming: the feel of the pool's rough edge on her toes, the snap of cold water on her skin, and the push of her limbs ever forward. In the water, she’s truly alive. Until tragedy strikes. And Tess is left navigating a summer of doctor visits, missed swim practices, a newly distant best friend, and a job stuck behind a counter—not sitting high in the lifeguard chair like every season before.

Continue reading

Instead, her spot goes to new guy Charlie. Although his messy hair and laid-back demeanor catch Tess’s attention, this isn’t really the time. She’s got to focus on getting back in the pool—and on getting back to herself. Lyrically and sensitively written, Breathing Underwater is a slice-of-life story with depth, exploring topics like epilepsy, inclusivity in student athletics, changing friendships, and the power of love and community. With warmth and wit, Abbey Lee Nash has crafted a moving portrait of a teen girl’s journey to self-acceptance and life on her own terms. Named to the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

On The Move

A compact, practice-minded read that blends movement, identity, and the pull of sport.

Come here for

  • water-sports momentum
  • a teen-centered disability lens

Expect

  • straightforward, accessible framing
  • more tool-and-takeaway than ornament

Where it sits

Disabilities & Special Needs for Teens71%
Coming of Age52%
YA Illness & Disease Stories52%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Coming of Age
  • Disabilities & Special Needs for Teens
  • Water Sports
Authors
Abbey Lee Nash, Abbey Nash
Publisher
Candlewick Press
Published
March 5, 2024
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
Coming of Age