I do not know how I would feel or act if I had grown up without an appendage. I cannot even begin to imagine if my children were born without an appendage. Aven Green was born without both arms but through sheer force of will, spunk and some extremely supportive parents has managed to learn to do many daily things that folks with arms may well take for granted.
As we meet Aven, her family is about to move to Arizona, a place that is unlike any place Aven has been. To make it worse, her parents are now managing the most rundown Western theme park you'll ever see. Like any kid, she worries about readjusting to a new friend group and playing sports but unlike other kids she also has to worry about not being noticed and deal with the accompanying weirdness that usually follows. (I loved her wacky way of dealing with some of this.)
Aven somehow finds herself hanging out with Connor, a classmate with his own set of challenges and through Aven's curiosity they set about trying to solve some nagging questions that she simply must find the answer to. The resulting events are unexpected but heartwarming. I found myself marveling that even for kids with various levels of difficulties, they were each able to survive and thrive in different ways.
We know that when humans read and interact with other cultures that it helps create empathy and this book more than many others of its ilk will help in that regard. This book will resonate with ages 10 and above. Some read alikes are Roll With It by Jamie Sumner, Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty.
