ANIANA DEL MAR JUMPS IN

Jasminne Mendez delivers her novel-in-verse with the affinity of an author turned narrator, embracing the line breaks and Spanish phrases that make her poetic writing even more lyrical. Mendez reveals the deep feelings of 12-year-old Aniana del Mar, a Dominican American who adores being in the water as much as she loves the parents who nurture her. Mendez helps listeners picture Aniana's protective Mami, who fears the water, and her Papi, who aids Aniana's passion for swimming. Mendez sensitively depicts Aniana's growing discomfort with the two secrets she is keeping: her swimming and the mysterious pain she is suffering. Admitting her suffering leads to a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis that brings new losses, grief, and family upsets, but healing begins with understanding. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2023]