Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

There is a complex layering of identities featured and reflected in Emmie’s story, which is one of the most important aspects of this book. If you’ve been watching these videos for any length of time, you’ve seen/heard me talk about the need to amplify the voices and stories of rural folks writ large and most especially folks of color, queer folks, and other identities that aren’t often thought of as being rural.

Social class is another important layer that is often forgotten or ignored, and it - along with race, age, and disability - is layered with rurality across the story in a way that makes those intersections feel as normal as they actually are. There’s a lot of rich analysis here, but for this video, I’ll focus on how place in particular influences Emmie’s experience as a person who uses wheels.

The action of the novel is framed and driven by place. Place features in the way the girls work toward their goals, how the architecture of the school makes it (in)accessible to students who use wheels, how she navigates relationships, and the ways people want and try to “help”.

“We may live out in the middle of Carolina scrubland, where the soil looks more like beach sand and everything green turns fried-up brown by early July, but Ale and I are experts at selling what we scavenge or make. Because we are entrepreneurs with goals” (p. 9). The rural South Carolina landscape is also a crucial element of the text. Emmie and Ale collect Spanish Moss, pine cones, and other natural aspects of the landscape to sell online as they work toward their dreams - for Emmie it’s a wheelchair made for motocross and for Ale it’s the stuff she needs to keep growing as a beekeeper. While some folks might find it hard to imagine that Emmie could navigate this landscape, she and Ale work together to make that possible and both have thriving online businesses as a result.

The structural design of the school and the ways it is and isn’t designed for folks who use wheels serve as the foundation for the conflict and movement of the story. “Just like back at the elementary building, there’s no automatic door, but I’m pretty good at popping a door open fast enough to get my front wheels through and wriggle my way inside.” (p. 25). Because Emmie’s rural school struggles (as most rural schools do) with funding, her tumble on a poorly designed and maintained ramp sets the major events of the novel in motion. It’s this particular aspect of the book made me think about the school where I used to teach and where I attended as a student - especially how the gymnasiums in both weren’t accessible. There were no designated places for folks who use wheels to sit. One had a recessed gym floor with no (easy) way for folks who use wheels to make it down there. This particularly sticks out to me when I think about our veteran’s day convocations and graduations.

Structural design also affects the Emmie navigates relationships. Emmie hurts Devontae’s feelings because she doesn’t go see him perform in the rodeo and doesn’t tell him why at first. But then she realizes that no matter how embarrassing it is, she has to tell him. “Okay, okay. The truth? I don’t go to Setzler’s Arena. Ever. Devontae slowly sits back down. “Because you hate rodeo?” Just say it. “Because of the bathrooms.” “The bathrooms?” he repeats. Glory, I’m going to have to spell it out. “Porta-potties aren’t the most accessible spots on the planet.” I point to my wheels with both hands, in case he’s 100 percent dense, then make for the door before I discover if you can literally die of embarrassment. (p. 109).

Because rural communities are often tight-knit, it’s been my experience that folks are keen on helping each other out when they need it. The upside of everybody knowing everybody else’s business. It’s in this way that place played a role in helping me critically question what it means and looks like to help and how often we ask the people we want to help what they actually need and whether or not we listen when they tell us. “Help” is the second major factor in why Emmie tumbles on the ramp. “As I work my handrims to slow my momentum enough to make the 180, my right front wheel hits the railing. I could have recovered it. But then that doggone Logan. He sees what happened and flies over to “help.” Throwing his books aside, he gallops up the ram like a mule with a burr.” (p. 46) Logan’s efforts to help are decidedly unhelpful and it causes Emmie to fall with her chair and panics students who run to tell teachers. The incident makes it back to the principal and results in more unwelcome help.

Through these aspects I felt invited to critically examine the privilege I have living in a world that was designed for me. Especially in rural spaces where there may not be funding to appropriately make spaces accessible. In that way this book was a huge gift and I can’t recommend it enough.

I really enjoyed reading Air. Emmie is a strong character who will resonate with readers. From the very beginning to her fixing her own wheelchair after a mishap to running an Etsy shop to raise money for a new wheelchair, Emmie is a very relatable character. It is good to see positive representation of people with disabilities in books.

Sometimes in middle grade books we see a character with a need and the community pulling together to make it a reality. We don't often see the other side of that equation, where a very showy donation is made and no consideration is made for the things that would genuinely improve their life. In this book there is no denying that Emmie will benefit from a better wheelchair. But what will improve her life, and the lives of others like her, more is better accessibility in the school and around town. Through this narrative Roe is encouraging us to fully see people, to truly listen to them and make sure they have what they need. This is seen in the primary plot, of course, but also in Emmie's interactions with her father and her friends. She has to confront her own preconceived notions as well as dealing with other people's perceptions of her. All around a solid read.

Fantastic fiction that shows the power that a girl can have to be in control of herself, her body, her dreams, and her disability. Great for all middle grade students.

What a fantastic story! I adored Emmie and admired how hard she was willing to work to achieve her dreams. She was so lucky to have been raised by parents who instilled a strong sense that she was capable of so much. The author did a great job of raising some awareness of the rights of people with disabilities, as well as ways to be a good ally. I have no doubt people will be won over by Emmie, her zest for life, her amazing work ethic, and her WCMX dreams.

This is a quick read with engaging characters! I love the way that students will gain a new perspective of using a wheelchair -- and all the different options that are available for people who use wheelchairs. Her relationship with her dad, and the way that he has to learn to let her follow her dreams, take risks, and be herself, was my favorite part of the book. Highly recommend.

Motorcross! Emmie has a goal. She has an online shop to raise money to upgrade her wheelchair so she can safely SPEED! Just like any middle school athlete in training, she gets her share of bumps and bruises but she keeps trying.

Air is the story of Emmie, a twelve-year-old dynamo in a wheelchair due to spina bifida. This doesn’t slow daredevil Emmie down a bit as she pops wheelies in her rickety chair. Emmie dreams of having a new set of wheels that will be capable of the tricks she’d like to do. To reach her goal, she and her best friend Ale run an online business that puts them on the way to financing their dreams. After a mishap on a ramp at school leads to a fall, Emmie is assigned an aide—and the school launches a fundraiser to get the chair that Emme so desperately wants along with some positive PR for the school. As the fundraiser nears its goal, Emmie begins to question if she wants the help from others and how she can truly make a difference for herself and her community. Emmie is a strong character and provides readers with a positive representation of a character who is differently abled. Her wheelchair doesn’t define Emmie but provides a venue for highlighting the challenges that may be encountered by those with disabilities. Emmie’s relationships with family, friends, and school staff members are an integral and well-developed component of the story as well. I was cheering for Emmie at the end of the book and I know that other readers will be, too!

Read this book in one setting! Emmie is a middle school student who dreams of being a motorcross rider in her wheelchair. She practices daily and runs her own business providing products for others in wheelchairs to earn money for a more advanced wheel chair to make her dreams come true. When she’s given the opportunity to be gifted the chair of her dreams, she ends up learning a lot about herself, her father, her grandmother, her friendships, and even well-intentioned adults, This is an excellent middle grade novel which will be loved by many!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for providing the E-ARC of this book.

The writing is awesome, and I believe that we need more positive books about people with different abilities. It educates people how to respond thoughtfully as well, thus teaching children to respond thoughtfully. I liked how Emmie and her teacher's conversation mention that many of the reforms we have today aren't that long ago. The book gives you a strong sense of victory and belief that even though we're young, we can still fight for reform.

I read this book in one sitting, and I absolutely loved it. Emmie is smart, funny, and courageous. Lots of the issues she faces as a young girl are here, including complicated family relationships, grief, honesty, acceptance, and finding courage to communicate and address difficult feelings. Emmie's voice resonates deeply in relation to her daily life as a person with a disability and a desire to be seen for who she is. She has a solid group of friends who add depth to the story. Air does a particularly good job in conveying respect for the well-intentioned but poorly executed actions of the people around her on her behalf. Emmie can help us all to appreciate and approach people with disabilities with greater understanding. The lessons Emmie teaches us are good ones to apply with everyone we want to connect and communicate with, not just those with a visible disability.

Air also does a great job in portraying aspects of living a rural community. There are lots of little details that can help urban readers that have never experienced a life without things like automatic doors or grocery stores nearby. That said, this book will touch readers in any setting. Highly recommend!

An eARC was provided by the publisher; these are my honest opinions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book. Content warnings for parental grief, and verbal abuse. This is a book that definitely is one if someone especially a teen wants to learn about what its like with kids with physical disabilities in schools. I appreciated that there was accurate information as well as a realistic approach to how people treat children with disabilities sometimes well sometimes too well etc. Also reading the authors note, it explained about the 504 sit -in history so because of that, I would say read this book for all ages not just middle grade. Because of these points, I have to give this book a 4-4.5 out of 5 stars

I love the perspective this book gives the reader. Emmie is in a wheelchair but she doesn’t need anyone’s pity. We follow Emmie as she is working (by selling things in her Etsy shop) to earn enough money to buy a wheelchair that will allow her to do stunts. Emmie’s interactions with her classmates may help some readers see themselves in the book and possibly give them a different way of thinking about folks who use wheelchairs by the end. While not an #ownvoices book, the author is a pediatric physical therapist who has been influenced by the students with whom she has worked.

You don’t see a lot of books with main characters like Emelyn Ethrige: a 12-year-old entrepreneur who owns a set of sockets and a sewing machine; a determined athlete who’s willing to sacrifice some skin for an adrenaline thrill; a small-town girl who lives twenty miles from a grocery store—and, worse, a ninety-minute drive from a skate park; a seventh-grader born with spina bifida who uses a wheelchair because, as she tells it, “baby Emmie’s spinal cord left the factory with a design glitch.”

Emmie has grown up on wheels, raised by parents who never expected her to do less than other kids. By age six, she was popping curbs and flying down “baby” ramps. For almost as long, she’s admired WCMX athletes, who perform gravity-defying stunts with high-tech wheelchairs.

Emmie dreams of buying her own WCMX wheels and is half-way to her goal, thanks to an online business she runs with her BFF, Alejandra, who is saving for a special hive for her bees. The girls sell Spanish moss, pine cones, and pitch-soaked fire-starter sticks scavenged from the Carolina scrubland around their homes. Emmie also makes and sells custom wheelchair bags.

She likely inherited her need for speed from her dad, a mechanic and college student, who knows his way around a skate-park bowl and races dirt bikes. At least he did until two years ago, when his wife and Emmie’s mom died in a car accident. Now, he’s ordered Emmie to stay off their 6-foot homemade ramp setup. But how is Emmie supposed to improve if she doesn’t practice? (And, maybe, speed-plus-air eases a bit of the grief, too?)

When Emmie experiences a mishap on a steep, splintery school ramp—in part because a classmate grabs her wheels to “save” her from falling—the principal insists she be assigned a full-time aide, even though Emmie doesn’t need or want one. It doesn’t matter that she wasn’t injured and that other kids have fallen, too. Without consulting Emmie, the principal announces a community fund-raiser to buy her a WCMX wheelchair. Emmie will get awesome wheels and the school will benefit from positive media "optics," he says. Win-win, right?

Except, as the plan snowballs without input from Emmie, she increasingly feels uncomfortable and confused—as well as distanced from her dad and friends. Yet she also struggles to find the right words and to speak up. Through the first-person story, readers experience countless microaggressions and worse as well-meaning friends and strangers grab and push Emmie’s wheelchair and try to provide “help” that isn’t—all without asking.

The story offers important representation for those who use wheelchairs and a valuable perspective for those who don’t. It also touches briefly on the recent past, when people with disabilities and their allies fought for equal access at schools and other public places.

But there’s so much more to the story, including the spark of first romance. The way Emmie’s wheelchair blends into the novel as she simply lives her busy life is a lesson in itself. Emmie is inspirational, but not because she uses a wheelchair. She tries to be a good friend and when she messes up, she’s willing to learn and do better, and she helps others do the same. Her ultimate response to her steamrolling, clueless principal is nothing short of a triumph. I would love to read more novels about kids like Emmie.

Disclaimer: I received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased opinion about the book. I only post reviews of books I finished and enjoyed.

This book is a fantastic story about a confident 12 year old girl on a wheelchair who is working hard to meet her goal of buying new wheels. The diversity of characters in the book and the accurate description of rural South Carolina makes this book relatable to many readers and it provides an opportunity for understanding to those who may not relate.
The conflict of the book is thought provoking and highlights challenges that people with disabilities face when other people decide to help without asking first.

Twelve-and-a-half year old Emelyn has just started middle school, and so far, seventh grade is living up to her expectations. She has more choice in her classes, she gets to travel the long halls throughout the day, and her friend Devontae is looking at her a little differently than he used to. And Emelyn has big plans: she has her heart set on a brand new set of wheels and the chance to perfect the tricks inspired by her WCMX idols. But when other people begin stepping into her world, offering help when she does not ask for or need it, Emelyn finds herself struggling to prove her ability more and more each day. Though these efforts are well-intentioned, other important details need to be addressed to truly make the difference her community desires.

Readers will fly through this book with the speed Emelyn craves so much. Something is happening in each moment of the story, whether Emelyn is going to school, working on her online business, or attempting another trick on the deteriorating halfpipe outside her house. This gives the narrative an easy flow, especially as it is filled with many of the familiar emotional experiences of adolescence. Likewise, youth-centric jargon punctuates the phrasing, often incorporating idioms used in Emelyn’s South Carolina home.

From the first pages, Emelyn exudes joy and effervescence. Though she has always relied upon a wheelchair to get around, Emelyn has never felt limited by it. Instead, her chair gives her the freedom of movement that helps her put all her other worries aside as she feels the air breeze past her face. But not everyone sees her through the same lens, and there are many people who instead view Emelyn as someone who needs assistance and may never live up to their expectations. Because of this, Emelyn must maintain even more optimism to counteract the well-meaning but misguided attempts of others to somehow fit her into their opinion of what reality should be.

Fantastically written, this is a book that readers of all ages will enjoy, and Emelyn is a character who will reside within their hearts long after the story ends. Her spunk and tenacity flow freely from the pages, and even when she experiences hardships, she finds a way to see her circumstances in a more positive light. This story blends supportive friendships and familial connections with some less-than-perfect elements of both to show readers that there is joy to be found even in challenging circumstances. Air is an inspirational and wonderful story that can be shared both as a classroom read and independently; it is a defining and essential contribution to the canon of literature for middle grade readers.

I love this book and Emmie so much! She's such a great character- spunky, innovative, determined, and real. I got attached to her quickly, which made it hard to put the book down!

Twelve-year-old Emmie's and her best friend, Ale, have big goals. Emmie wants a tricked-out wheelchair for WCMX, and Ale's an aspiring beekeeper. Together they run an online business selling hand-sewn wheelchair bags and local bits of nature they've scavenged. Things are going great until an unfortunate fall on her school's poorly made ramp changes everything.

Even though Emmie's not seriously hurt, the incident puts a serious cramp in her style. The school hires an aide to to shadow Emmie, embarrassing her and making her worry that people view her differently. Her own father appears to be becoming less supportive of her daredevil tricks, and Emmie wonders if he still believes in her as much as he used to. Then her school decides to launch a very public fundraiser to get Emmie the wheels she's longing for. It sounds great at first but. . . is that what she truly wants and needs from them? How can she show the community who she is, what she can do, and how to truly make a difference?

There are so many things I love about this book-- Emmie's dynamic personality, the sweet, unfolding of her first crush, her friendship with Ale, her relationship with her father, and her awesome history teacher. Air is heartfelt, yet fun and empowering, and I will definitely be recommending this to students at my school for years to come.

What an incredible story about a spunky girl on wheels who has to find a way to let people know she isn’t a “case,” or a “cause,” and CAN do things by herself…. Told in a voice capturing an indomitable spirit, this book is a must-read for all!

Em(Emelyn) has spina bifida, but her energy and love for speed doesn’t stop her from doing the quarter pipe. Because she wants a special high-end stunt chair, Em designs and sells wheelchair bags on line to raise the money to buy the chair. When she’s given a 1-1 aide at school that she feels she doesn’t need, she worries the aide may shadow her if she gets her new chair, and Em won’t be able to be herself. When the school decides to have a fund raiser to raise money for Em’s chair, Em doesn’t know how she feels about that. She had no problem raising the money herself. When someone tells her to speak up for herself, Em has an idea. Will it work?