The Space You Left Behind

Available: June 2024

Author: Ona Gritz

Specs: 5 1/2” x 8 1/4” • 200 pp. • Excerpts from other Books within this Series, Written in Verse, About the Author Section, High / Low Content

HC ed.: 9781978597051 • $25.80 | $19.40

eBook: 9781978597075 • $25.80 | $19.40

Pbk. ed.: 9781978597068 • $16.35 | $14.20

Sixteen-year-old Cara has cerebral palsy. Self-conscious about her limp, Cara is convinced her disability is what causes boys to always place her in the friend zone. This summer, it seems to be happening again with her new crush, Josh. The two of them are huge fans of a popular mystery podcast and, as it happens, Cara has a real-life mystery of her own. She’s never been that curious about the donor who is her biological father, but now that Josh shows an interest in learning his identity, she’s all in. As Cara starts exploring, she stumbles upon a family secret that just might explain the feeling she’s always had that something important is missing from her life. But with this knowledge, her life may never be the same again.

“A compelling, fast page-turner!” —Meg Eden Kuyatt, author of GOOD DIFFERENT

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About the Author:
Ona Gritz holds a master of arts in poetry from the creative writing program at New York University. She is the author of August Or Forever, a Reader’s Choice and Wishing Shelf finalist in middle grade fiction. Her writing has also appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times, Ploughshares, and Salon, among others. Ona’s earlier books include Geode and Tangerines and Tea: My Grandparents and Me, a Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Alphabet Book of the Year and Scholastic Magazine Teacher’s Pick. She teaches creative writing to teenagers with disabilities through the Numberless Dreams Project. This is her first book for teen readers.