AIR
Grades 5 and Up
Monica Roe
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-37438-865-2
272 pp.
Summary
Emmie is gritty in more ways than one. Not only is she strong, fierce, and independent, she’s also not afraid to get literal grit in her elbows while pursuing her chosen sport: she’s an aspiring extreme wheelchair athlete. She was born with spina bifida, but took her parents at their word when they said that she can do anything other kids can do. In order to truly compete, though, she needs a new wheelchair. Emmie is earning money through her own home business - but when some well-meaning community members learn of her goal, Emmie struggles with how and when to accept help, while remaining true to herself.
Curriculum Connections
Science
Emmie’s friend Ale is passionate about bees. Learn about beekeeping: here.
Why are bees so important? See these books:
Burns, Loree Griffin. Honeybee Rescue : A Backyard Drama. Charlesbridge, 2022.
Markle, Sandra. The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery. Millbrook Press, 2022.
Williams, Lily. If Bees Disappeared. Roaring Brook Press, 2021.
Write about the ways in which the extinction of bees would impact your life.
Art
Emmie and Dawn both spend their free time on artistic expression. Emmie creates custom wheelchair bags, which are also her main source of income. Dawn is a scrapbooker and saves her memories in dynamic pages that she builds by hand. Try one of the following:
Draw a bag design that expresses your own outlook. Think about what kinds of notions you might need. Would you include a message and what would it say?
Create a scrapbook page. You don’t need anything fancy to make frames and captions that accent your memories. Check your local library for resources on how to get started, whether you are creating a traditional page or something more alternative or funky.
How to Make Homemade Scrapbooks
Math
Emmie’s wheelchair goal is expensive, but she makes a good savings plan and chips away at it. Think about an item or experience for which you might like to start saving. There are great resources for kids to learn how to earn and save money. Try to make your own savings plans for your goal. Think about how long it might take, your spending habits, your potential income, and what obstacles you might have. How about writing your own money-making business plan?
These books might help:
Chatzky, Jean. How to Money: Your Ultimate Visual Guide to the Basics of Finance. Roaring Brook Press, 2022.
Jackson, Ty Allan. Make Your Own Money : How Kids Can Earn It, Save It, Spend It, and Dream Big. Storey Publishing, 2021.
Social Studies
Learn about wheelchair sports. The official Olympics website at https://olympics.com
has a section called Body+ which features videos and stories of athletes who are redefining what Olympics sports can be.
Discussion Questions
Emmie notices people staring and treating her differently than her peers. How does she respond? What would you do if you were faced with this?
Emmie and Ale have a strong friendship. In what ways are they successful at supporting each other? How did they grow as friends through the course of the book?
How does Emmie’s father act as an advocate for her? In what ways does he struggle and learn?
Emmie accepts the financial support of her community and later second-guesses her decision. Why? Would you have accepted help? Why or why not?
What kind of a person is Dawn (Emmie’s aide)? How did Emmie act toward her? How did their relationship evolve?
Author Online
Monica Roe grew up in an Appalachian farming community where she spent her childhood haunting the local library. She currently studies public health at the University of Alaska in Anchorage, focusing on disability-inclusive preparedness for rural communities threatened by climate change. When not in Alaska, Monica and family can be found in rural South Carolina where they raise honeybees (and sometimes get stung).
Companion Books
Chance to Fly
Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz. (Harry N. Abrams, 2021)
A wheelchair-bound middle schooler with a passion for musical theater overcomes her fears and follows her dreams to perform in a production of Wicked.
Mascot
Antony John (HarperCollins, 2019)
A heartwarming story about a boy who learns to overcome adversity and find his place in the world again after a devastating car accident leaves him paralyzed.
Roll With It
Jamie Sumner (Atheneum, 2020)
Ellie has problems - not least of which is the cerebral palsy that keeps her in a wheelchair - but she's determined to realize her dream of becoming a celebrity chef.
Hummingbird
Natalie Lloyd (Scholastic, 2022)
A twelve-year-old girl with brittle bone disease embarks on a magical quest to find a wish-granting hummingbird.
Out of My Mind
Sharon Draper (Atheneum, 2012)
Eleven-year-old Melody, who has cerebral palsy, finds a way to share her intelligence and creativity with the world.