Rachel is looking forward to school resuming. She has her friends, Hazel and Frannie, and Tate, whom she likes a lot. And, of course, there is soccer. She loves the thrill of the game and being with her pals. Everything feels normal, happy, and optimistic in Rachel's life.

Then, she has an appointment to check for scoliosis, and the doctor determines she needs to wear a back brace. A year seems like an eternity, and the girl wonders how she will make it through.

Rachel discovers that back braces are not built for comfort, that is for sure. Her brace rubs her skin raw, pinches her thighs when she sits down, and digs into her armpits. Her skin develops blisters everywhere—and the fun does not stop there. Rachel must obtain clothes two or three sizes larger to accommodate the behemoth hunk of plastic. She settles for dresses because they look less horrific than pants. Still, as a teen, Rachel dislikes looking bigger and how her brace has a tendency to jut out from her clothing. Twenty-three hours a day inside the back-straightening apparatus feels like a jail term. 

The brace interferes with soccer, too, as the game does not come as easily when she is wearing the brace. It affects her balance, and it takes much practice to master moves and plays she has been performing easily for months. Rachel must re-learn how to dribble, and shoot. Running is difficult and painful in the brace, but Rachel is determined to persevere with the black-and-white ball. Thankfully, her buddies help her through the turmoil.

Braced by Alyson Gerber, 2017

I liked the inside look at scoliosis and its treatment.

Alyson Gerber's website

Books about scoliosis
 

Emmy Martin loves the thrill of the race. She cherishes the feeling of wind on her face while she coasts down hills on her bike. The terrain is intriguing and relaxing to her. She also relishes buying bikes for almost no money, repairing them, and then selling them for over 100 dollars each. Biking is what the young woman does to forget all the cares and worries in her life. Riding makes her feel free and alive.

Still reeling from the death of her good friend, Lucas, Emmy struggles to grieve and heal. Her best friend, Kelsie, is always there to lend an ear and hear all the details of Emmy's life. Big brother Gavin even endures being awakened multiple times by his little sis when she is upset about all the occurrences in her life. Then, her parents deliver the disturbing news of her mother's recent diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. 

Whitney is Emmy's arch-nemesis and rival at mountain biking. Both girls are excellent riders and compete in many races. Emmy longs to beat Whitney, who mocks her when she does not.

Another new development in Rachel's life is Cole, a boy who is everywhere and anywhere Emmy is. Emmy is sarcastic with him, and they joke around, and she is very confused about how she feels about her new companion. 

Switching Gears by Chantele Sedgwick, 2017

I completely relate to this young woman's love of her sport.

Chantele Sedgwick's website

Books about mountain biking
 

Sarah Dunbar and Linda Fairstein are classmates at Jefferson High School in Virginia in 1959. The school has been recently racially integrated after numerous court battles. Many of the white parents and white students loath the idea, and retaliate against the 10 academically talented black students chosen to launch this tension-filled process.

At the time, separate but equal does not exist in Virginia, or anywhere. Black schools are underfunded, and operate in cramped spaces. By comparison, white school are luxurious, and have fewer students per class and better teachers.

Linda Fairstein is white and privileged. Her father is a segregationist and he insists that his family follow such a credo. Linda is terrified of being seen in public speaking to any colored person. She knows that word of such an act will get back to the patriarch of her family in short order, and the consequences will be severe. Although Linda feels invisible in the household, Mr. Fairstein pursues racial inequality with a fervor that is frightening.

Sarah Dunbar is black, and happy to have the opportunity to benefit from the improved facilities and education at her new school. Equipment works at Jefferson High, and the building is more pleasant to spend time in. However, the flagrant abuse that the administration, teachers, and students heap onto her is nearly unbearable. She is spat on, insulted, physically assaulted, demeaned, and penalized for imaginary offenses. Being a minority in a school that is focused on expelling her, both literally and figuratively, crushes her spirit and resolve to fight for justice.

Despite their widely divergent backgrounds and ideologies, Sarah and Linda are assigned to work on a school project together. The tension between them is palpable, but they gradually find some common ground. The teens engage in long discussions, mostly about race relations. They enjoy spending time together, and feel an ease and comfort in one another's company that is difficult to find elsewhere in such a fraught climate. The girls frequently argue, but are at a loss of what to express to each other. 

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley, 2014

I loved this brilliant work; it really made the school racial integration story come to life. This is especially relevant since the NYC school system has been known as one of the most racially segregated school systems in the nation. It is also the largest, serving 1.1 million students.

Books about school racial integration

Robin Talley's website