Twelve-year-old Coyote Sunrise has been living on a bus with her dad, crisscrossing the country in search of experiences and adventure. “The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise” by Dan Gemeinhart is about Coyote’s fifth year on the bus with her hippie-like dad. The roaming around sounds like a lot of fun, but as the reader gets into this novel, you realize that underneath it all is a tragedy that put them on the bus in the first place, and it is this tragedy that both father and daughter are avoiding facing at all costs.
Coyote is a quirky character, fiercely independent, opinionated, and willful. She is skilled at influencing, even manipulating, her father.
As they bounce from town to town, they pick up a few stragglers, some down and out, who inadvertently help Coyote face her past. Coyote plots to return to her hometown, without her dad knowing, and enlists her fellow passengers in the deception. There are run-ins with the police, lots of strange characters, and scary moments. Her fellow passengers show incredible kindness and compassion in the face of difficult situations.
With the help of her new friends on the bus, Coyote returns to her hometown and faces the tragedy she is running from, and helps her dad reclaim his life. And we find out — is her true name Coyote Sunrise?
This book is very funny, there is never a dull moment, and the ending is powerful. It’s a great read- aloud for 10-12-year olds, and a great book to read yourself. Eleven-year-olds and above can read it themselves.