Air

An action-packed, empowering middle grade novel about a girl who has to speak up when her wheelchair motocross dreams get turned upside down.

Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide—and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can’t shake the feeling that her goals—and her choices—suddenly aren’t hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to get her dreams off the ground—and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.

Air is a smart, energetic middle grade debut from Monica Roe about thinking big, working hard, and taking flight.

About the Author

Monica Roe is the author of Thaw, a Cybils Young Adult Fiction Finalist, and the short story “The Unhealthy Breakfast Club” in the anthology Rural Voices. She is a longtime disability advocate and researcher, holds a doctorate in physical therapy from Clarkson University, and has devoted her pediatric clinical practice to rural and underserved communities, as well as publishing journal articles in the area. She lives in Swansea, South Carolina.