Readers will come away wishing they could be best friends with Rachel and believing that they, too, are stronger than they ever expected.' - Alison Cherry, author of The Classy Crooks Club'Rachel gives us an inspiring look into coping with the challenge of bracing and what many of us have trouble putting into words. A lovely and deep book that will get readers right in the heart.' - Corey Ann Haydu, author of Rules for Stealing Stars' Braced is an honest, inspirational story about perseverance in the face of adversity. Rachel is the best kind of character - vibrant and brave, struggling and strong, and most of all impossible not to root for and relate to. Braced earns its place on the shelf with other titles promoting empathy and compassion.' - Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky and Audacity Jones Steals the Show'Alyson Gerber's Braced is a rare gem of a novel: intimate and engrossing at once. 'Rachel's story is about more than straightening a spine it's about expanding the human heart. But as Rachel confronts all the challenges the brace presents, the biggest change of all may lie in how she sees herself.Written by a debut author who wore a brace of her own, Braced is the inspiring, heartfelt story of a girl learning to manage the many curves life throws her way. It changes how her clothes fit, how she kicks a ball, and how everyone sees her - even her friends and Tate. The brace wraps her in hard plastic from shoulder blades to hips. After one last appointment with her scoliosis doctor, this will be her best year yet.Then the doctor delivers some terrible news: The sideways curve in Rachel's spine has gotten worse, and she needs to wear a back brace 23 hours a day.

And she really likes Tate, and she's pretty sure he likes her back. She's finally earned a place as a forward on her soccer team. Rachel Brooks is excited for the new school year. The first contemporary novel about a disease that bends the lives of 10 percent of all teenagers: scoliosis.

Braced by Alyson Gerber