Down and Across
Written by Arvin Ahmadi
Published by Penguin Group
Scott Ferdowsi has a track record of quitting. His best friends know exactly what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion. With college applications looming and his parents pushing him to settle on a practical career, Scott sneaks off to Washington, DC, seeking guidance from a famous psychologist who claims to know the secret to success. He never expects an adventure to unfold. But that’s what Scott gets when he meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. When the bicycle she lends him gets Scott into a high-speed chase, he knows he’s in for the ride of his life. Soon, Scott finds himself sneaking into bars, attempting to pick up girls at the National Zoo, and even giving the crossword thing a try all while opening his eyes to fundamental truths about who he is and who he wants to be.

Primary ISBN: 9780425289877
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback
Middle Grade, Age 12 or older
Community Represented: Korean/Korean American, Muslim/Muslim American, Pakistani/Pakistani American
Themes: Family Relationship: Parents, Generation: 1st, Multiracial Identity
Setting: United States
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: Immigrant
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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