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  • Learning to Fall by Sally Engelfried book cover
  • Learning to Fall by Sally Engelfried book cover
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Learning to Fall

by Sally Engelfried

Learning to Fall

$21.83 USD
$34.11 USD $21.83 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

Learning to Fall

Daphne arrives in Oakland determined to leave again, carrying hurt over her father’s past drinking and the time he left her stranded. A weekly skate session with him and her new friend Arlo complicates that distance: learning to land an ollie becomes part of a larger question about whether trust can be rebuilt. Skateboarding gives the story a concrete thread for exploring failure, forgiveness, and a child’s changing view of a parent. The family relationship remains central, while Daphne’s wish to join her mother in Prague frames her uncertainty about where she belongs.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • A good match for ages 9–12 interested in skateboarding and sports-themed fiction.
  • For readers drawn to stories about complicated parent-child relationships and forgiveness.
  • Could suit readers who enjoy coming-of-age fiction shaped by family change and friendship.

Themes

SkateboardingForgiveness and trustParent-child relationshipsFailure and persistenceFriendship

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Twelve-year-old Daphne reconciles with her father, who left her stranded three years ago, and learns forgiveness one fall at a time in this heartwarming debut by Sally Engelfried. For fans of The ​First Rule of Punk.

Daphne doesn't want to be stuck in Oakland with her dad. She wants to get on the first plane to Prague, where her mom is shooting a movie. Armed with her grandparents' phone number and strict instructions from her mom to call them if her dad starts drinking again, Daphne has no problem being cold to him. But there's one thing Daphne can't keep herself from doing: joining her dad and her new friend Arlo at a weekly skate session.

When her dad promises to teach her how to ollie and she lands the trick, Daphne starts to believe in him again. He starts to show up for her, and Daphne learns things are not as black and white with her dad as she used to think. The way Daphne's dad tells it, skating is all about accepting failure and moving on. But can Daphne really let go of her dad's past mistakes? Either way life is a lot like skating: it's all about getting back up after you fall.




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