Breathing Underwater

About the Author
Sarah Allen is the author of What Stars Are Made Of, and has also been published in The Evansville Review, Cicada, and on WritersDigest.com. She grew up in the mountains of Utah where she got one MFA, and because she's a little bit crazy, she's now at work on a second MFA in the tropics of Florida. Other than writing poetry and books for children, she can be found singing show tunes too loudly, watching David Attenborough documentaries or, like Olivia and Ruth, hunting for treasure. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram!
A Junior Library Guild Selection
“In Breathing Underwater, Sarah Allen has created characters so alive and compelling that readers will root for them every mile of this moving, heartfelt journey.” ―Dan Gemeinhart, author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
A sparkly, moving middle grade novel from Sarah Allen, and a big-hearted exploration of sisterhood, dreams, and what it means to be there for someone you love.
Olivia is on the road trip of her dreams, with her trusty camera and her big sister Ruth by her side. Three years ago, before their family moved from California to Tennessee, Olivia and Ruth buried a time capsule on their favorite beach. Now, they’re taking an RV back across the country to uncover the memories they left behind. But Ruth’s depression has been getting worse, so Olivia has created a plan to help her remember how life used to be: a makeshift scavenger hunt across the country, like pirates hunting for treasure, taking pictures and making memories along the way.
All she wants is to take the picture that makes her sister smile. But what if things can never go back to how they used to be? What if they never find the treasure they’re seeking? Through all the questions, loving her sister, not changing her, is all Olivia can do―and maybe it’s enough.