It’s been said many times that reading can take you anywhere. So for spring break, we’re honoring some books that literally take the character somewhere! Whether you’re traveling or staying at home, these books will be sure to keep you turning pages during our week off of school.
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart is a heartwarming tale of finding where home truly is. When her mother and two sisters tragically passed away in a car crash, Coyote Sunrise and her dad, Rodeo sold their house and adopted a life on the road, living in their trusty school bus Yager. Five years later, Coyote realizes that their neighborhood park where she, her mother, and her sisters had buried a memory box, was about to be torn down. Coyote knows needs to do something to save the memory box, but there’s one small problem: her and her dad are currently in Florida, and the park is in Washington state. Coyote and her father must embark on a 3,600 mile journey to their hometown, but Coyote can’t let her father know they’re going back to Washington or he’ll refuse to go. During their journey, Coyote and Rodeo pick up a group of misfits who each need something different, and who find Yager as a safe place to be themselves. Throughout the trip, Coyote realizes that sometimes finding where you belong can be the hardest quest of all.
Bear Bottom by Stuart Gibbs is a funny story about a high-stakes mystery. Teddy Fitzroy’s parents work at FunJungle, a fictional zoo in Texas. When the owner of FunJungle, JJ McKraken, invites Teddy and his parents on a trip to a ranch near Yellowstone National Park, they are quick to accept. However, as usual, mystery follows Teddy. When the ranch’s bison start disappearing, Teddy and JJ’s daughter Summer are hot on the trail of the kidnapper. After they start investigating though, a grizzly bear breaks into the house. And after that, JJ’s wife’s expensive sapphire jewelry mysteriously disappeared. With the National Park Service baffled, will Teddy and Summer be able to figure out who’s behind the string of crimes? And will they compromise their own safety in doing so? This book is the 7th in the FunJungle series, but the books can be read in any order. Fans of mysteries and adventure will love this book that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat!
Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar is a touching story about the importance of embracing family stories. Everyone in 12 year old Carol’s family knows that Grandpa Serge is crazy. He tells wild stories of a green glass lake and bees that bring rain. That’s why Carol is forced to spend her entire summer roasting in the New Mexico sun instead of hanging out with her friends back home. But while Carol and her parents are moving Grandpa Serge into a dementia facility, she starts to think that maybe his stories aren’t all based in fiction. Carol comes up with a daring plan to defend Grandpa Serge’s stories from the “reality” that her parents say must be true. All the while, Carol learns about her roots and her family’s history. This book represents themes of loss, heartbreak, and heritage, and shows that sometimes our best intentions have unpredictable consequences.
