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The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow
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The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

By Jake Maia Arlow

By Jake Maia Arlow

By Jake Maia Arlow

By Jake Maia Arlow

By Jake Maia Arlow

By Jake Maia Arlow

By Jake Maia Arlow
Read by Krystal Hammond

By Jake Maia Arlow
Read by Krystal Hammond

Best Seller
Paperback $8.99

May 28, 2024 | ISBN 9780593112977 | 10-14 years

Hardcover $17.99

Aug 01, 2023 | ISBN 9780593112960 | 10-14 years

Ebook $8.99

Aug 01, 2023 | ISBN 9780593112984 | 10-14 years

Audiobook Download $23.00

Aug 01, 2023 | 467 Minutes | 10-14 years

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    The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow
    Paperback $8.99
    May 28, 2024 | ISBN 9780593112977

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    • $8.99

      May 28, 2024 | ISBN 9780593112977 | 10-14 years

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • $17.99

      Aug 01, 2023 | ISBN 9780593112960 | 10-14 years

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • Aug 01, 2023 | ISBN 9780593112984 | 10-14 years

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • Aug 01, 2023 | ISBN 9780593680797 | 10-14 years

      467 Minutes

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    About The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

    A hilariously honest book about surviving middle school while navigating a chronic illness from the Stonewall Honor-winning author of Almost Flying.

    Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life:

    1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why.
    2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls.

    So she holds it in…until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer—she has Crohn’s disease.

    But rather than solving all her problems, Al’s diagnosis just makes everything worse. It’s scary and embarrassing. And worst of all, everyone wants her to talk about it—her overprotective mom, her best friend, and most annoyingly her gastroenterologist, who keeps trying to get her to go to a support group for kids with similar chronic illnesses. But, who wants to talk about what you do in the bathroom?

    The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a wildly funny and honest story about finding community, telling the truth even when it’s hard, and the many indignities of middle school life.

    About The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

    A hilariously honest book about surviving middle school while navigating a chronic illness from the Stonewall Honor-winning author of Almost Flying.

    Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life:

    1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why.
    2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls.

    So she holds it in…until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer—she has Crohn’s disease.

    But rather than solving all her problems, Al’s diagnosis just makes everything worse. It’s scary and embarrassing. And worst of all, everyone wants her to talk about it—her overprotective mom, her best friend, and most annoyingly her gastroenterologist, who keeps trying to get her to go to a support group for kids with similar chronic illnesses. But, who wants to talk about what you do in the bathroom?

    The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a wildly funny and honest story about finding community, telling the truth even when it’s hard, and the many indignities of middle school life.

    About The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

    A hilariously honest book about surviving middle school while navigating a chronic illness from the Stonewall Honor-winning author of Almost Flying.

    Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life:

    1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why.
    2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls.

    So she holds it in…until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer—she has Crohn’s disease.

    But rather than solving all her problems, Al’s diagnosis just makes everything worse. It’s scary and embarrassing. And worst of all, everyone wants her to talk about it—her overprotective mom, her best friend, and most annoyingly her gastroenterologist, who keeps trying to get her to go to a support group for kids with similar chronic illnesses. But, who wants to talk about what you do in the bathroom?

    The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a wildly funny and honest story about finding community, telling the truth even when it’s hard, and the many indignities of middle school life.

    About The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

    A hilariously honest book about surviving middle school while navigating a chronic illness from the Stonewall Honor-winning author of Almost Flying.

    Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life:

    1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why.
    2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls.

    So she holds it in…until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer—she has Crohn’s disease.

    But rather than solving all her problems, Al’s diagnosis just makes everything worse. It’s scary and embarrassing. And worst of all, everyone wants her to talk about it—her overprotective mom, her best friend, and most annoyingly her gastroenterologist, who keeps trying to get her to go to a support group for kids with similar chronic illnesses. But, who wants to talk about what you do in the bathroom?

    The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a wildly funny and honest story about finding community, telling the truth even when it’s hard, and the many indignities of middle school life.

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    Listen to a sample from The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

    Also by Jake Maia Arlow

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    Also by Jake Maia Arlow

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    Also by Jake Maia Arlow

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    About Jake Maia Arlow

    Jake Maia Arlow is a podcast producer, writer, and bagel connoisseur. They studied evolutionary biology and creative writing (not as different as you might think) at Barnard College. They live with their girlfriend and their loud cat in the Pacific… More about Jake Maia Arlow

    About Jake Maia Arlow

    Jake Maia Arlow is a podcast producer, writer, and bagel connoisseur. They studied evolutionary biology and creative writing (not as different as you might think) at Barnard College. They live with their girlfriend and their loud cat in the Pacific… More about Jake Maia Arlow

    About Jake Maia Arlow

    Jake Maia Arlow is a podcast producer, writer, and bagel connoisseur. They studied evolutionary biology and creative writing (not as different as you might think) at Barnard College. They live with their girlfriend and their loud cat in the Pacific… More about Jake Maia Arlow

    About Jake Maia Arlow

    Jake Maia Arlow is a podcast producer, writer, and bagel connoisseur. They studied evolutionary biology and creative writing (not as different as you might think) at Barnard College. They live with their girlfriend and their loud cat in the Pacific… More about Jake Maia Arlow

    Product Details

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Books

    Paperback | $8.99
    Published by Dial Books
    May 28, 2024 | 288 Pages | 5-1/16 x 7-3/4 | 10-14 years | ISBN 9780593112977

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Books

    Hardcover | $17.99
    Published by Dial Books
    Aug 01, 2023 | 288 Pages | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 | 10-14 years | ISBN 9780593112960

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Books

    Ebook | $8.99
    Published by Dial Books
    Aug 01, 2023 | 288 Pages | 10-14 years | ISBN 9780593112984

    Category: Audiobooks | Children’s Middle Grade Books

    Audiobook Download | $23.00
    Published by Listening Library
    Aug 01, 2023 | 467 Minutes | 10-14 years | ISBN 9780593680797

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    Praise

    Praise for The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

    ALA 2024 Rainbow Book
    NYPL 2023 Best Book for Kids
    A NPR Best Book of the Year
    A NYT Kids 2024 Year of Books selection

    ★ “Via Al’s plucky, plain-spoken first-person narration, Arlow presents an honest and exceptional story of a tween’s experience dealing with rapid and abundant change, while tenderly reflecting upon themes of chronic illness, found family, interdependence, and queerness.” –PW, starred review 

    “Al feels all things deeply…traversing the highest highs and lowest lows on her journey to developing pride in all that she is. Her sweet romance with…Mina and deep friendship with Leo are strengths, and the highlight of Al’s story is the camaraderie among a group of chronically ill queer kids providing each other with dignity and nonjudgmental support…Offers humorous honesty and heartfelt relationships.” –Kirkus

    “[The] first-person narration is frank and doesn’t lean on euphemisms. Humor is plentiful but not zany; the emphasis on Al’s emotions makes it easy to empathize with her…The casual, varied Jewish representation is another plus.” – The Horn Book

    “Arlow’s heartfelt and humorous latest offers readers a story of friendship, self-discovery, gender, sexuality, complicated family dynamics, and, you guessed it, poop.” –Booklist

    “Hilarious and touching.” –The Dallas Voice

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