This middle grade novel by Dan Gemeinhart, was wonderful. Read it. That is all.
Just kidding, you know I can't stop there. This compelling story chronicles the 5 year physical and emotional journey of 12 year-old Coyote Sunrise and her father Rodeo.
Coyote shares their story with the reader and it is immediately apparent that she is independent, intelligent, and street smart. She reveals herself to us slowly, peeling away the layers of street tough and pain, and as she does, we begin to understand how she and Rodeo came to live in a renovated school bus, driving from place to place on their wims.
Coyote and her grandmother, who lives in Washington, speak on the phone every Sunday, and it is during one of those calls that Coyote discovers that the neighborhood park she loved as a little girl is being bulldozed to become a parking lot. This news catapults Coyote into action and we soon learn that 5 years ago, she, her mother, and her two sisters buried a time capsule of sorts in that park and Coyote, who is, at the moment, in Florida, is determined to get back to Washington and retrieve the box before it disappears forever.
But, there is a considerable obstacle - Rodeo. He refuses to return to their hometown, or even speak of it. So how will Coyote convince him to take her back to Washington and save the time capsule in less than a week? No spoilers here.
As the will-they-get-there tension rises, Coyote begins to confront her past and, in turn, forces Rodeo to do the same. A cast of characters joins them as they cross the United States and each one adds depth to the story and introduces the reader to some of the tough topics and difficult choices we must make in life. One of the key events toward the resolution seemed a bit far-fetched to me, but it did make for an exciting chapter.
I love the way Gemeinhart resolved their story. With no shortage of events on both the rising and falling action sides of the story arc spectrum, it could have ended up in numerous ways, but his ending is satisfying and will help middle grade readers feel closure.
His books deal with tough subjects and this one is no different - mental health, death, parentification, breaking up with someone you love, coming out, dishonesty, and domestic abuse are all touched on in this novel. The difference between Gemeinhart and many other MG authors is that while he does not sugar coat things, he isn't graphic or offensive in the way he addresses the topics. If you'd like to hear him explain this, see the interview link below.
Researching Gemeinhart led me to the fact that he also lives in Washington, in the small town of Cashmere. He used to work as a teacher librarian, which gave him the opportunity to not only read tons of children's and teen literature, but gave him an inside look at what they like, what they are curious about, and the books that meet those needs.
Whether you choose a regular book, an e-book, or an audiobook, please read this story.
Dan Gemeinhart website
Interview with Dan Gemeinhart (scroll down for interview)
Interview with Dan Gemeinhart about his book Good Dog - it's a 27 minute segment, and worth watching, but if you want to hear his take on writing for middle graders, start at 9:26 and go to about 13:10.
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