From Printz honoree and National Book Award finalist Candice Iloh, a verse novel about Cerulean Gene, a nonbinary Black teenager searching for a new way to do more than survive in post-pandemic America.
Cerulean and their friends went into senior year—the first year of normal school after the pandemic—with a plan: keep their heads down in class, save money, and get the hell out of the Bronx once they graduate. If teachers are going to force them to read Huckleberry Finn, then they can't blame kids for "lighting out for the territory." Cerulean is convinced that there must be somewhere better than the Bronx and is focused on learning how to grow and make food so they can all be self-sufficient when they finally make their break.
Burned-out teachers and their father's badly timed workplace accident send Cerulean reeling off course, but Bronx babies are resiliant and resourceful, and Salt the Water is ultimately a radically hopeful vision of life beyond mere survival.
Topics Family problems. Gender identity. African Americans. Black people. Bronx, New York. New York City. High schools. LGBTQ.
Lexile NP
Trim Size 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
JLG Span Winter
Language English
Rights type Print
Publication date 2023-10-02
JLG Release Date Dec 2023
Minimum grade 10
Maximum grade 12
Reading level High
Format Print
City High School (Grades 10 & Up)
City High School
City High School (Grades 10 & Up)
For Grades 10 & Up
Teen readers looking for realistic city settings and urban themes will enjoy these often-gritty titles that deal with contemporary situations and feature ethnically and culturally diverse characters. These titles will have special appeal for urban teens who want to see their own lives reflected in the books they read. Readers interested in the excitement and challenges of a city setting will also be drawn to the 12 books that comprise this category.