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The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Looking for a book that’s perfect for a road trip? That is entertaining AND appropriate for kids?

Like most great children’s books and fairy tales, the story begins after some sort of tragedy. In this case, Coyote Sunrise and her dad, Rodeo, have changed their names and converted an old school bus into a house. They homeschool on the road, going from place to place. They just can’t talk about the tragedy that took the rest of their family. This is presented in the right way – through the thoughtful grief of the main character, Coyote. She’s 12 or so in this tale.

On the road, they pick up a few people that are traveling to the same place as they are, and the relationships that are built teach us all a little about ourselves. It’s a wholesome, entertaining book and I highly recommend you read it, no matter your age. I mean, I turn 44 next week and I listened to it, after a recommendation by a childhood friend who is now a teacher. The recommendation came after I made a tiktok talking about young adult authors using bullying and brattiness as a way to show strength, when the best way to show strength is through kindness and generosity. The recommendation was spot on.

I feel like everyone that reads this book will come out of it a little bit happier than they were before.

Illustrations for this book: Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise – Shihyu Illustration (cargocollective.com)

Publisher’s Summary

Five years.

That’s how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation.

It’s also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.

Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished―the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box―she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days…without him realizing it.

Along the way, they’ll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there’s Gladys…

Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all…but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.”

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