Book Review: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

"The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise" by Dan Gemeinhart is deep, and surprising, and fun, and terribly sad. I picked up this book because of the title. It looked like the perfect summer read, and I was right, mostly. This isn't a light read, in spite of the fun names, the fact that they live in a school bus, and the first chapter is about slushies and kittens.

Coyote lives on the road with Rodeo, a hippie who happens to be her father, on a renovated school bus they call Yager. Their road life has rules, and most of them are about avoiding the reality that Coyote isn't her real name, as Rodeo isn't her dad's name, and they are running away from the tragedy that took Coyote's mom, her two sisters, and essentially, her real name.

Coyote finds her way home, with some help from friends and beasts. You will leave this book with a greater appreciation of goats.

Book Review: The Collectors

"The Collectors," by Jacqueline West creates a magical world that exists out of sight for most, but not Van. He sees creatures others can't and can hear their adorable companion animals speak. It's like a wish come true, which Van soon learns is not always a good thing.

This is the first book in a series, and the ending sets us up for the next adventure in a land where wishes run wild.  It is an imaginative choice for middle grade readers that features a main character with hearing loss and no desire to change the way he perceives the world.