What This Book Is About
Aven Green was born without arms. She's heard every possible reaction—the stares, the whispers, the pity, and the endless awkward questions ("But how do you eat?"). She's also developed a wicked sense of humor about it all, inventing increasingly outrageous stories about how she "lost" her arms (alligator wrestling, a fireworks accident, a magic trick gone wrong) just to see people's faces.
When her parents take over the management of Stagecoach Pass, a rundown Western theme park in the Arizona desert, Aven has to start at a new school where nobody knows her. The stares begin again. But this time, she meets Connor, a boy with severe Tourette's syndrome whose uncontrollable tics make him just as much of an outsider as Aven. Together, these two "different" kids form an unlikely friendship—and discover that the dusty old theme park holds a decades-old mystery that someone has tried very hard to keep buried.
Dusti Bowling writes with warmth, humor, and unflinching honesty. Aven is not a character defined by what she lacks—she's fierce, funny, resourceful, and fully realized. This is a book about accepting differences, finding courage in unexpected places, and redefining what "normal" means. It will make your child laugh, think, and see the world a little differently.
Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.
Why We Recommend This Book
A powerful and engaging B1 book that builds empathy while keeping readers entertained. Three reasons it's on our list.
First, disability representation from a protagonist's perspective builds critical thinking and emotional intelligence. Unlike many books that feature disability as a side plot, Aven is the hero of her own story—confident, complex, and never defined by pity. Students learn to see disability through a lens of capability rather than limitation, developing the kind of nuanced thinking that IB programs explicitly cultivate.
Second, the themes of resilience and adapting to new environments directly mirror the experiences of students at international schools. Aven arrives somewhere new, faces judgment from strangers, and must build friendships from scratch—a situation that nearly every student who has changed schools or countries will recognize. The book validates their experience while modeling healthy coping strategies.
Third, the mystery subplot keeps readers engaged while the emotional core develops naturally. Students don't feel like they're reading a "lesson book"—they're reading a detective story that happens to feature characters they genuinely care about. This balance of entertainment and substance is what makes the book work so well in classroom settings and independent reading alike.
Reading Level Guide
A stretch at A2. Build confidence with The Fourteenth Goldfish or El Deafo first.
Ideal difficulty. Emotionally engaging and linguistically rewarding at this level.
A comfortable read at B2. Pair with Out of My Mind for a deeper exploration of similar themes.
Other UWC Recommended Books for This Grade
Not sure if this book is right for your child? Take our free English assessment to find their CEFR level, then choose books that match.