Breathe and Count Back from Ten

A Pura Belpré Honor Book * A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book for Teens In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body. Verónica has had many surgeries to manage her disability. The best form of rehabilitation is swimming, so she spends hours in the pool, but not just to strengthen her body. Her Florida town is home to Mermaid Cove, a kitschy underwater attraction where professional mermaids perform in giant tanks . . . and Verónica wants to audition. But her conservative Peruvian parents would never go for it. And they definitely would never let her be with Alex, her cute new neighbor. She decides it’s time to seize control of her life, but her plans come crashing down when she learns her parents have been hiding the truth from her—the truth about her own body. Disability Representation: A heartfelt journey of a teen with hip dysplasia who finds freedom and strength in the water, the one place she feels truly safe in her own body. First Love: A sweet romance with the new neighbor, Alex, who might be the one person she doesn’t have to hide her scars—or her dreams—from. Peruvian-American Heroine: Verónica navigates the expectations of her conservative Peruvian parents while carving out her own identity as a first-generation American teen. YA Coming of Age: It’s the summer before senior year, and Verónica is ready to seize control of her life, from auditioning for Mermaid Cove to discovering her own strength.