“There were big days and there were small days and there were bad days and there were good days and I suppose I could pick any one of ‘em for my ‘once upon a time.’”

From Dan Gemeinhart’s The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise.

Twelve-year-old Coyote does not have a typical life. In the five years since the tragic deaths of her mother and two sisters, Coyote and her dad (who she calls Rodeo) have been living and driving all across the country in their remodeled school bus (which they have named Yager). This unique lifestyle has led to Coyote being a unique young lady, so when a gift slushy for a little boy at a gas station results in an unexpected free kitten, she names him Ivan and convinces Rodeo to let the solemn cat stay.  News that her childhood playground is going to be destroyed by the city sends Coyote on a mission to return to Washington state and save a long-hidden box before the park is destroyed in 4 days… the only problem being that Rodeo will never knowingly take her home.  Coyote initially finds a way to get Rodeo to go most of the way from Florida to Washington under the guise of a craving for a delicious sandwich in Montana, but she soon realizes that offering a ride to a young man (Lester) on his way to Boise will get her even closer.  When a gas station mix-up results in Coyote getting left behind while Rodeo and Lester jump back on the highway, the traumatic incident allows Coyote the opportunity to meet young Salvador and his mother, Esperanza (and eventually his Aunt Concepción), and Yager soon has some new passengers that need a ride on the way to Coyote’s real destination.  Then when Coyote finds the homeless almost-twenty Val crying at a truck stop, their originally two-person home gains its seventh passenger.  However, getting Rodeo to return home while managing the craziness that their new friends/passengers have brought will be harder than Coyote ever imagined… and that’s where the real adventure begins.

Gemeinhart’s book is utterly captivating, from the spunky narrator to the unexpected developments in the story to the genuineness of all the characters. There are a few minor curse words in a few places that will be off-putting to parents with young children, but otherwise this is an amazing adventure story for readers of all ages.  The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is a book that hits the reader right in the feels and is not to be missed!