Dive

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

A girl who dives for an elite private school swim team by day and helps to make ends meet at her family’s struggling restaurant by night begins to wonder about the rules in her life that box her in—and which ones might be broken—in this powerful, poignant, and unexpected upper middle grade novel from the beloved author of Posted.

From the moment Kassandra Conner leaps from the diving board to the moment she hits the water, everything feels in control.The rest of her life does not.St. Lawrence Academy is supposed to have everything Kass's old school didn’t: safe hallways, small classes, and most important, a chance to dive. But since transferring, all Kass can think about is what’s missing. Like her best friend, Aleah, who’s starting to pull away. Or the comfortable life so many of her classmates enjoy while Kass’s family’s restaurant struggles to stay afloat. Even the excitement she always felt in the pool, now that she’s on the same team as Amber Moore—the best diver in the state, who’s barely said two words to her all year.Kass feels like she’s drowning, until she meets a boy named Miles. He’s a diver, too—someone who searches through dumpsters in the posh side of town for things he can salvage or sell. Miles knows what it’s like to be boxed in by things you can’t control, and as Kass spends more and more time with him, she starts to wonder what would happen if she tried to break out of her own box—and what she might lose by doing so.

About the Author

John David Anderson is the author of more than a dozen acclaimed and beloved books for kids, including the New York Times Notable Book Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Posted, Granted, One Last Shot, Stowaway, The Greatest Kid in the World, Keep It Like a Secret, and many more. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his wonderful wife, two frawesome kids, and clumsy cat, Smudge, in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can visit him online at johndavidanderson.org.