Aniana del Mar Jumps In

By: Jasminne Mendez

Narrated by: Jasminne Mendez

Pura Belpré Author Honor Award
** Four starred reviews!**

A powerful and expertly told novel in verse, by an award-winning poet, about a twelve-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis.

Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water, but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming, along with medication, will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most—and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.

"Beautiful in its honesty and vulnerability, this is a powerful story about dreams and bodily agency that sings from the heart.”—Natalia Sylvester, award-winning author of Breathe and Count Back From Ten

Waves of Joy

Jasminne Mendez does an extraordinary job at narrating the story by distinctly emotionalizing every character’s POV. This story not only takes you through waves of emotions but it is also a story that is unique and thought-provoking. The subject matters discussed are not traditionally seen through the lens of such a young character, but the way that we experience Aniana’s life is done beautifully. Jasminne has successfully been able to both teach and entertain with this piece. I could not recommend this enough for readers of all ages. Looking forward to reading more of Jasminne’s work!

Love the narration

Love the narration and inflection switching btw English & Spanish. I do recommend the print book itself bc the free verse conveys a lot of the sentiment too.