Plastic Back

About the Book

If I did end up with a brace, how would I ever have any more amazing assists? Who would get Becca the ball and how would the team win without their captain?

For basketball superstar Anna Beth, life as a seventh grader is just as cool as she thought it would be. She's finally in junior high and the excitement of sports, school dances, and friends consumes her every thought.

But when Anna Beth is diagnosed with scoliosis and made to wear a back brace, her life quickly becomes much more complicated. With her plastic shell, dances are awkward, sports are hard to play, and good friends are difficult to find.

Though the brace forces her to change some aspects of her life, she soon realizes that certain things-her family's love for her and the friendship of true friends-will never change. Plastic Back shares the story of Anna Beth's struggle to survive junior high and discover a full life despite her new plastic "accessory".

About the Author

Anna Rakes earned a BA in history and a MT in elementary education from the University of Virginia. Plastic Back, her first novel, is based on Anna?s experience with scoliosis. Anna grew up in Roanoke, Virginia and currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband and two children.