Coyote lost and found

Coyote and Rodeo are no longer on the road and live in a little house with Yager the bus parked alongside. Coyote still spends time in Yager, and one day, she finds a hidden wooden box, filled with what can only be her mother's ashes. Rodeo confirms that she is correct. The place where she wanted her ashes scattered is written in a book of poetry, but when Coyote goes into Yager to get it, she can't find it. Then she realizes that she unintentionally gave it to a thrift store during their last trip. She doesn't tell Rodeo, instead planning an elaborate road trip to search in the most likely places for the book. They bring along best friend Salvador and, to Coyote's dismay, neighbor Candace. Coyote is less happy-go-lucky than in the first novel, and her salty behavior puzzles Salvador and clearly hurts Candace. Still, Gemeinhart allows Coyote to grow up, and readers on their own journeys of emotional growth will be able to identify with her reactions. A memorable blend of sorrow and joy.

Coyote hits the highway again in this follow-up to 2019's The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. Set one year later, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, this sequel finds Coyote Sunrise and her father, Rodeo, both cued white, having settled into a house in Oregon, with Rodeo receiving counseling and Coyote attending school for the first time in five years. But with school canceled for three weeks, it's the perfect time for father and daughter to traverse the country in their bus. They're off in search of a lost volume of poetry by Mary Oliver in which Coyote's mother wrote down the location where they should scatter her ashes. As before, the pair accumulate a motley assemblage of fellow travelers who fall under the spell of the quirky duo. Coyote's narrative flair propels the novel, but the emotional underpinnings have shifted. Thirteen-year-old Coyote's parentified role has lessened, and, aggravated by challenges with classmates, she displays a believably volatile early-adolescent tone in her narration and behavior. Her friend Salvador, who's Latine, is an empathetic, well-developed character. Thanks to Gemeinhart's trademark compassion, each character participates in moments of poignant humanity, but many supporting characters feel more lightly sketched in, including Thai American former corporate lawyer Wally, who experiences anti-Asian racism related to the unfolding pandemic; purple-haired coder Candace, Rodeo's new girlfriend; and a grieving older Englishwoman named Doreen. Fans of the first book will find much to appreciate in this heartfelt story of growth and change. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.