A Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book

Cerulean Gene is free everywhere except school, where theyre known for repeatedly challenging authority. Raised in a free-spirited home by two loving parents who encourage Cerulean to be their full self, theyve got big dreams of moving cross-country to live off the grid with their friends after graduation. But a fight with a teacher spirals out of control, and Cerulean impulsively drops out to avoid the punishment they fear is coming. Why wait for graduation to leave an oppressive capitalist system and live their dreams?

Cerulean is truly brilliant, but their sheltered upbringing hasnt prepared them for the consequences of their choice especially not when its compounded by a family emergency that puts a parent out of work. Suddenly the money theyd been stacking with their friends is a resource that the family needs to stay afloat.

Salt the Water is a book about dreaming in a world that has other plans for your time, your youth, and your future. It asks, what does it look like when a bunch of queer Black kidsare allowed todream? And what does it look like for them to confront the present circumstances of the people they love while still pursuing a wildly different future of theirown?