
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with a deep loss or the complex feeling of being 'stuck' in their grief. This moving contemporary novel follows twelve-year-old Coyote and her father, Rodeo, who have spent five years living on a renovated school bus to outrun the pain of the car accident that killed Coyote's mother and sisters. When Coyote learns that a park in her hometown is being demolished, she must trick her father into driving across the country to retrieve a precious memory box buried there. It is a masterclass in navigating grief through adventure, emphasizing that healing requires facing the past rather than fleeing it. The story is poignant and heavy at times, but balanced by a colorful cast of hitchhikers and a deep, resilient bond between father and daughter. It provides a secular, realistic, and ultimately hopeful framework for families to discuss the permanence of loss and the possibility of joy.
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Sign in to write a reviewDeals with heavy grief, loneliness, and the emotional struggle of a grieving parent.
Characters face road trip hazards and a high-stakes race against a construction deadline.
The book deals directly with the death of immediate family members (mother and sisters) in a car accident. The approach is secular and realistic, focusing on the psychological impact of avoiding grief. The resolution is profoundly hopeful but grounded in the reality that the loss remains.
A middle-schooler who feels they have to protect their parents' feelings, or a child who has experienced a life-altering change and feels 'adrift' from their old identity.
Parents should be aware of the scene where the car accident is described and the intense emotional confrontation at the park at the end. It can be read cold, but be ready for big conversations about honesty and memory. A parent might notice their child becoming overly self-reliant or 'too okay' after a loss, or perhaps the child has expressed a desperate wish to go back to how things used to be.
Younger readers will enjoy the 'road trip' adventure and the quirky animal companions. Older readers will resonate with Coyote's burden of keeping secrets and her complex role as a caretaker for her father's emotions.
Unlike many 'grief books' that focus on the immediate aftermath, this explores the long-term effects of unaddressed trauma through a vibrant, high-stakes quest format.
Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, live a nomadic life on a school bus, never looking back at the tragedy that took the rest of their family. When Coyote learns her childhood park is being razed, she orchestrates a cross-country journey to recover a time capsule, picking up a diverse group of travelers along the way who help her find the courage to confront her father and her grief.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.