Young Adult Fiction Eating Disorders & Body Image
Breathless
- Publisher
- Orca Book Publishers
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2005
- Category
- Eating Disorders & Body Image, Water Sports, Dating & Sex
- Recommended Age
- 12
- Recommended Grade
- 8 to 12
- Recommended Reading age
- 12
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781551434803
- Publish Date
- Sep 2005
- List Price
- $9.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781554695829
- Publish Date
- Sep 2005
- List Price
- $7.99
-
Downloadable audio file
- ISBN
- 9781459819832
- Publish Date
- Jan 2018
- List Price
- $18.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Beverly is in Hawaii, helping her uncle at his dive shop, learning how to dive and trying to lose weight and get a boyfriend.
When Garth, an accomplished diver, shows an interest in her, Beverly is ecstatic, until it turns out Garth is only interested in one thing. Struggling with failing strength from her self-imposed starvation diet, Beverly finds herself in deep trouble when she has to fight Garth off underwater.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! Available in Spanish as Respira.
About the author
Award-winning author Pam Withers has written numerous bestselling sports and adventure books for teens, including four for Orca Book Publishers: Camp Wild, Breathless, Daredevil Club and . Pam is a former outdoor guide, journalist, editor and associate publisher. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and tours North America extensively. For more information, visit www.pamwithers.com.
Awards
- Commended, Resource Links, The Year's Best Books
Excerpt: Breathless (by (author) Pam Withers)
And the thing about panicking when you're forty feet under the ocean's surface is that you can drown, and you know you can drown. In fact, you can't breathe without your regulator even if you're not panicking. You're also not supposed to hold your breath, because there's pressure underwater. That means if you're not breathing out bubbles while the regulator is out, your chest might expand until it explodes.
Editorial Reviews
"Teen girls, reluctant readers or not, will likely engage with Breathless because of its emotional appeal, vivid imagery, realistically portrayed characters and engaging brief narrative. As well, the same audience will likely identify with the book's majors themes: sexuality and sexual curiosity, insecurity and problems arising with self-doubt. Recommended."
CM Magazine
"Attention to detail and character development are strong in this brief novel."
Hip Librarian's Book Blog
