A tender-souled boy reeling from the death of his best friend struggles to fit into a world that wants him to grow up tough and unfeeling in this stunning middle grade novel in verse from the Newbery Honor–winning author of Genesis Begins Again .
Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Alicia D. Williams’ Mid-Air, which releases on April 23rd 2024.
It’s the summer before high school and Isaiah feels lost. He thought this summer was going to be just him and his homies Drew and Darius, hangin’ out, doing wheelies, and watching martial arts movies—a lot of chillin’ before high school and the Future. But more and more, Drew will barely talk to him—barely even look at him—and though he won’t admit it, Isaiah knows it’s because of Darius, because Darius is…gone.
And Isaiah wasn’t even there when it happened, with his best friend in his final moments. But he’s going to be there now. Him and Drew both, they’re gonna spend the summer breaking every single record they can think of, for Darius, for his dream of breaking world records. But Drew’s not the same Drew, and Isaiah being Isaiah isn’t enough for Drew anymore. Not his taste in music, his love for D&D, his interest in taking photos, or his aversion to jumping off rooftops. The real Isaiah is sensitive; he’s uncool.
And one day something unspeakable happens to Isaiah that makes him think Drew’s right. If only he could be less sensitive, more tough, less weird, more cool, more contained, less him, things would be easier. But how much can Isaiah keep inside until he shatters wide open?
Bet
Swear this word is gon’ get us killed, yo.
All three of us stand in front of the HUGEST
dirt mound we’ve ever seen.
Not just dirt. Nah. A beast of
rubble, bricks, stones, plywood, & a bunch of
heck if I knows hidden throughout like booby traps.
Like the city knocked down a whole building &
the demolition team up & quit. Left it all in a heap.
Told you. Drew cheeses like he one-upped us.
He ain’t tell us.
For the thirty-minute hike it took to get here —
Drew. Did. Not. Tell. Us. This.
An hour ago, Drew bragged how he & his old squad
used to race bikes down a hill. Talking about
how dudes wiped out. But not him.
Me & Darius got tired of his yapping,
so we bet Drew we could do it too.
I figured conquering a lil’ hill would get him
off my back about choking —
or what my English teacher calls reevaulating —
the last few dares.
But dang, wasn’t picturing no bootleg Mount Kilimanjaro.
Got us standing around with thirty other kids
plotting & planning how to conquer this thing.
What is that, like, two stories? I say.
Darius, to my right, answers, Nah, more like a
glorious three.
Drew, to my left, jaws, Yo, it’s not that bad.
Not that bad? I gawk at him. Dude?
We looking at the same thing?
He laughs like I’m kidding. I’m not kidding.
Sure, you got this? Drew asks for the hundredth time.
Darius turns to me. Isaiah, you got this, right?
Yeah. I swallow hard. I got it.
Drew thrusts out his hand. Aight. Bet.
Mannn, Dude always wanna bet somebody.
He don’t care about the gang of boys standing around
rubbing wounds & fighting to get next
while taking bets on each rider’s life. On they life!
Yo, for real, this ain’t a jumping-off-my-garage’s-roof
ankle-straining bet.
Or a skateboard-down-city-hall’s-handrail
wrist-fracturing bet.
Naw, this is a legit
leg-breaking back-buckling better-not-cry bet.
Still, I shove out my hand. Bet.
A kid now at the top straddles his wheels.
Hoots & hollers whoop the air. Darius nudges me,
I nudge him, & whoa, off bro goes.
His arms flap with each bump hit & pothole dip —
He ain’t gon’ make it!
He twists left. Grips too tight —
Loosen up, man! Loosen up!
He brakes & swerves & wobbles —
Stay on the path! Yo, stay on the path!
He veers right, hits a brick, skyrockets ten feet, & bam —
Ummph!
Dirt shifts. Rocks scatter.
We watch. We wait. & whoa —
bro’s got a bloody nose.
He swipes his arm across his face & pops up —
Yo, you see that! Almost made it this time!
He ain’t almost make it.
Drew rubs his hands together like he’s expecting big bucks.
He looks to Darius, then me, & grins.
Eenie meenie miney mo, which one of y’all is first to go?
Excerpted from MID AIR by Alicia D. Williams. Reprinted by permission of Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Copyright © 2024 by Alicia D. Williams
