Coaster

Reach for this book if your child is struggling to find their footing after a divorce or is feeling resistant toward a parent's new partner. Twelve-year-old Hart is navigating the steep drops and sharp turns of his family's new reality by secretly building a real roller coaster in the woods. As he balances his frustration with his mother's new boyfriend, a local weatherman, Hart discovers that life, like his coaster, is about managing the momentum of things we cannot always control. This gentle contemporary novel is perfect for middle-grade readers (ages 8 to 12) who need to see their complex feelings of anger and loyalty validated. It offers a grounded, realistic perspective on blended families while celebrating the power of creative outlets and engineering as a form of emotional processing.