The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

How I Heard About It:  If you haven't heard of Dan Gemeinhart, then you must not be a reader and/or living under a rock.  I have absolutely loved every novel he has released.  In my opinion, they just keep getting better and better.  It was an honor when Dan sent me an ARC to read and share with my #bookexpedition group on Twitter.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Coyote and Rodeo have been on the road for the last five years.  They have been on the open road, traveling, and living on an old school bus.  



2.  *Five years ago they left the state of Washington and vowed never to return.  It was too painful to remain there and think about the ones they had lost.  

3.  *When Coyote receives a phone call from her grandmother, she makes it her mission to return home.  She is on a tight timeline in order to retrieve an important item that was buried five years earlier.  

4.  *Knowing Rodeo won't be in favor of returning home, she lies to him creating a situation in which they must drive across the country in a record number of days.

5.  *Along the way, they welcome a variety of characters to join them on their journey.  Each of these passengers has their own story/history.  Coyote finds the courage to share her story with her new friends while rushing back to her past;  all the while hoping Rodeo won't find out the real reason they are heading "home".  


What I Thought Of It:  What a complete joy to read.  I had quite a pile of books I was working on, but when I started this one; all the others fell to the wayside.  I was hooked from page one.  I think this is by far the best novel Dan has written.  I was captured by the heart, soul, and imagination of Coyote.  She was such a heart warming girl with a pain that I can't quite imagine.  Reading about her and "Rodeo" was a joy and I was completely interested in the path they were on.  The addition of the other "passengers" added greatly to adventure.  I enjoyed reading about their pasts and what they were running to or away from.  As I read my way toward the end of the story, I felt like I was reading faster and my heart was racing.  I was so nervous about what Coyote and her crew would find there.  This will definitely be a novel that I share with my fourth grade students.  


Who Should Read It:  EVERYONE.  This is the perfect novel for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.  I could also see middle-school and high-school readers enjoying.  Of course adult readers that enjoy middle-grade novels would also be completely satisfied with the story.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars