by Laura Zimmermann
Dutton Books for Young Readers
5/18/2021, paperback
SKU: 9781984815262
My Eyes Are Up Here is a razor-sharp debut about a girl struggling to rediscover her sense of self in the year after her body decided to change all the rules.
If Greer Walsh could only live inside her head, life would be easier. She'd be able to focus on excelling at math or negotiating peace talks between her best friend and . . . everyone else. She wouldn't spend any time worrying about being the only Kennedy High student whose breasts are bigger than her head.
But you can't play volleyball inside your head. Or go to the pool. Or have confusingly date-like encounters with the charming new boy. You need an actual body for all of those things. And Greer is entirely uncomfortable in hers.
Hilarious and heartbreakingly honest, My Eyes Are Up Here is a story of awkwardness and ferocity, of imaginary butterflies and rock-solid friends. It's the story of a girl finding her way out of her oversized sweatshirt and back into the real world.
Target age: 12 and up
Reviews:
"Charming, relatable and laugh-out-loud hilarious, My Eyes Are Up Here is a sparkling debut from my new favorite YA author, Laura Zimmermann. Her Greer Walsh is at once all of us and the most special of us. I wanted to hug her, give her a high five and sometimes throttle her, but I always, always rooted for her." -Erin Hahn, author of You'd Be Mine and More Than Maybe
"My Eyes Are Up Here is not only a smart and honest book about body positivity. It's a funny and endearing read that will have you cheering for Greer Walsh, and celebrating the power of female friendship." -Deb Caletti, National Book Award finalist and Michael L. Printz Honor medalist
"[S]mart, insightful and often very funny [...] this novel perceptively explores the emotional toll experienced by teens who are self-conscious and feeling isolated about being different - and the liberation that comes with breaking free." - Buffalo News
About the Author:
Laura Zimmermann is a multiple-time champion of the Twin Cities Moth and Word Sprout story slams, and she was chosen to participate in the 2018 Listen To Your Mother storytelling show. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, MN. My Eyes Are Up Here is her first novel.