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YA novel Grades 7 to 12 for ages 12-18
ULTRA-READABLE FORMAT by Lea Beddia The only thing worse than crash landing a plane is spending a weekend hiking with your bully. Marisa’s only hope for a second chance at her test flight is extra credit from a survival camp weekend. As an aviation cadet, hiking in the wilderness should be a breeze. But Marisa, who is gay and out, needs the courage to deal with Aimee, a toxic basketball star and long-time bully. When Aimee is injured on the hike, Marisa will have to decide how to help her. Getting them to safety may cost Marisa her credits. Is it worth it to save a bully? 978-1-989996-1-33; Fiction; paperback $13.95 Release date: March 15, 2023 Pre-order: Feb 1, 2023
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"A gay Canadian teenager’s mettle gets tested hard both at school and on the trail. As if the struggle to make passing grades and cope with severe test anxiety aren’t bad enough, Marisa has to endure homophobic comments and constant harassment from Aimee, a sneering classmate and former friend, not only in high school, but even on a day hike when she’s paired with her tormentor and fellow classmate Dawn during a weekend extra-credit survival camp. Worse yet, by blowing off several safety rules, Aimee manages to injure her leg and lose the backpack containing both the emergency phone and, it turns out, her insulin pump. Beddia really piles up the challenges, even throwing in a thunderstorm and a plane crash, but she gives her protagonist a good grounding in precisely described wilderness survival skills and a cool head under pressure—both of which repeatedly come into play as they weather the crisis. Marisa’s ability to cope when the going gets tough will strike readers as admirable, and the lack of a tidy resolution to the personal conflict adds a note of realism to the end. A suspenseful survival tale well stocked with both physical and ethical challenges." Kirkus Reviews
"In this wonderful novel, Lea Beddia kicks-the-tires-and-lights-the fires. In addition to enjoying the suspense and humour in Take Off! readers are sure to fall in love with this novel’s fascinating, diverse cast of characters. I’m already looking forward to Beddia’s next book!"
~Monique Polak, author of 32 books for young readers, including her most recent, The Brass Charm
"Take Off! is a story where the bullied saves the bully, and each discovers their humanity in the process. The protagonist is a teenaged pilot suffering from self-doubt after almost crashing a plane. She is likeable, credible, and defines her essence through her actions. As a reader, I was cheering for her from the first page, as I am for this author. Lea Beddia has all the makings of a great and insightful writer who knows how to plan and move a credible and interesting narrative forward through action, dialogue, visual description to a successful and satisfying conclusion." ~Darlene Madott, award-winning author
"A winning combination: high-action adventure, outdoor survival camp, aviation, a friend turned bully—and with a strong, positive lesbian lead, to boot! Highly recommended book in ultra-readable format." ~Sheila Davies, librarian
"Take Off is a fast-paced adventure story that will engage young readers, especially those with an interest in wilderness survival or aviation. Beddia cleverly uses flying as a metaphor for the ups and downs of complicated relationships, like the one between bully and target. A page-turner that will engage and enlighten young readers.” ~Lori Weber, author The Ribbon Leaf (nominated for the 2023 Red Maple Award)
"This book will be a great addition to our LGBTQ+ library in our counselling centre. It will open up great discussions about why bullying occurs and that it may not be due to homophobia. The bully often has their own issues." ~JoAnne Danson, counsellor
"Marisa comes across naturally, and the few references to her coming out and her sexuality are enough to show she doesn't have an issue with it even if others do. It's clear she resents Aimee for her bullying and her homophobic taunts, but Marisa is also established very early on as someone who would help anybody who's in trouble, even Aimee herself. With relatable characters and a compelling storyline, this novel is sure to make a mark on young readers." ~ Liana Cusmano (author, editor, and sensitivity reader)
"The Story is great! Lea Beddia’s use of short, snappy chapters is a great way to keep the story moving (and very appealing for readers too, especially reluctant readers)! There is a velar trajectory of the story moving from beginning, middle and end. I was so impressed with the author’s revision and level of polish she achieved even prior to final copyediting. I’ll be thinking about Marisa, Aimee, Rock, and Dante for a long time!" ~Amber Smith (award-winning and New York Times Bestselling author, and editor)
"As a teacher-librarian, I am always looking for high interest/ultra-readable books for my students to read. With themes such as LGBTQ, aviation, and outdoor adventure, Take Off! will definitely pique interest amongst my students." ~Lisa King, high school teacher-librarian
~Monique Polak, author of 32 books for young readers, including her most recent, The Brass Charm
"Take Off! is a story where the bullied saves the bully, and each discovers their humanity in the process. The protagonist is a teenaged pilot suffering from self-doubt after almost crashing a plane. She is likeable, credible, and defines her essence through her actions. As a reader, I was cheering for her from the first page, as I am for this author. Lea Beddia has all the makings of a great and insightful writer who knows how to plan and move a credible and interesting narrative forward through action, dialogue, visual description to a successful and satisfying conclusion." ~Darlene Madott, award-winning author
"A winning combination: high-action adventure, outdoor survival camp, aviation, a friend turned bully—and with a strong, positive lesbian lead, to boot! Highly recommended book in ultra-readable format." ~Sheila Davies, librarian
"Take Off is a fast-paced adventure story that will engage young readers, especially those with an interest in wilderness survival or aviation. Beddia cleverly uses flying as a metaphor for the ups and downs of complicated relationships, like the one between bully and target. A page-turner that will engage and enlighten young readers.” ~Lori Weber, author The Ribbon Leaf (nominated for the 2023 Red Maple Award)
"This book will be a great addition to our LGBTQ+ library in our counselling centre. It will open up great discussions about why bullying occurs and that it may not be due to homophobia. The bully often has their own issues." ~JoAnne Danson, counsellor
"Marisa comes across naturally, and the few references to her coming out and her sexuality are enough to show she doesn't have an issue with it even if others do. It's clear she resents Aimee for her bullying and her homophobic taunts, but Marisa is also established very early on as someone who would help anybody who's in trouble, even Aimee herself. With relatable characters and a compelling storyline, this novel is sure to make a mark on young readers." ~ Liana Cusmano (author, editor, and sensitivity reader)
"The Story is great! Lea Beddia’s use of short, snappy chapters is a great way to keep the story moving (and very appealing for readers too, especially reluctant readers)! There is a velar trajectory of the story moving from beginning, middle and end. I was so impressed with the author’s revision and level of polish she achieved even prior to final copyediting. I’ll be thinking about Marisa, Aimee, Rock, and Dante for a long time!" ~Amber Smith (award-winning and New York Times Bestselling author, and editor)
"As a teacher-librarian, I am always looking for high interest/ultra-readable books for my students to read. With themes such as LGBTQ, aviation, and outdoor adventure, Take Off! will definitely pique interest amongst my students." ~Lisa King, high school teacher-librarian
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MEET THE AUTHOR!
Lea Beddia is an author, storyteller and educator. Born and raised in Montreal, she now teaches in Joliette, Quebec, where she lives with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing for teenagers, she’s likely watching zombies take over the world, eavesdropping on conversations, or baking something with too much chocolate. She wanted to be a superhero when she was younger, but will settle for creating characters who can change the world. Her missions are to create accessible literature to striving readers, and find the best gelato on the planet. She will not give up on her quest for either. Visit her at www.leabeddia.com, on Facebook or Instagram @BeddiaLea. https://www.facebook.com/lea.beddia https://www.instagram.com/beddialea/ |
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