Publishers Weekly
★ 06/20/2022
Slow-boiling danger elevates the stakes of Gemeinhart’s (The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise) imagery-rich novel of transformative friendship. Acute loneliness wakes 12-year-old Ravani Foster the night that the seven Deering children appear in Slaughterville, a town as unchanging as the incessant “hiss-moooTHUD!” emanating from its slaughterhouse. He’s the only person to see them arrive, and the newcomers intrigue Ravani, especially outspoken, parasol-twirling Virginia, also 12, who disrupts his routines and stands up to his relentless bullies. But the Deerings have “big secrets”: they are Ragabonds, a parentless found family on the run from a ruthless Hunter, and trusting new friends jeopardizes their freedom. Still, the same quiet magic that woke Ravani the first night draws him closer to Virginia, urging them to take the risk—because “sometimes, when two souls leap, they catch each other.” A quirky, intimate tone permeates the telling, developed through deliberate-feeling omniscient narration, amusing exclamations (“Holy spit”), and surprising metaphor (words that sound “like the smell of a campfire”). Amid suspenseful scenes and straightforward descriptions of slaughterhouse gore, the story’s robust emotional core sees the children forge the story’s path as they powerfully change their community through courageous honesty and emotional vulnerability. Characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Pam Victorio, D4EO Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year
A William Allen White Children’s Book Award Nominee
"Dan Gemeinhart offers a way of talking to middle grade readers about the world in which they are growing up: The stakes are mortal; we do need to look out for one another; everything is not OK. And yet Gemeinhart reminds us that “things don’t always have to be the way they’ve always been.” These children become the heroes of their story because the world is closing in on them. Our kids could learn a lot from this bunch. So could we." —The New York Times
* "A story of fierce friendship, bravery, loyalty, and finding—or making—a place to belong." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Gemeinhart’s moody, magnificent novel [is] a Stephen King–esque blend of the sentimental and sinister. A tale by turns sweet and terrifying of friendship, bravery, and finding oneself in caring for others—this is for readers who enjoy dark tales with a lot of heart." —School Library Journal, starred review
* "The children forge the story’s path as they powerfully change their community through courageous honesty and emotional vulnerability." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "A rare (yet well done) tale about second chances and being true to both self and friends." —Booklist, starred review
"Distinctive narration and heart-pounding suspense will carry this kids-outwit-grownups tale deep into your heart to the place where courage is born." —Rosanne Parry, bestselling author of A Wolf Called Wander
"The Midnight Children has a dash of the Boxcar children and a whole lot of honesty and heart . . . Told in a riveting voice, this is Dan Gemeinhart’s best yet and that’s saying something." —Padma Venkatraman, Walter Award-winning author of The Bridge Home
"A creepy, strange, and surprisingly sweet story of friendship and belonging. Equal parts Kate DiCamillo and Shirley Jackson, this book is unlike anything else I've ever read—you will love it." —Jonathan Auxier, New York Times-bestselling author of Night Gardener and Sweep: the Story of a Girl and her Monster
"The midnight children might sneak into town quietly, but there’s nothing quiet about this sparkling story. It felt like fireworks in my heart." —New York Times-bestselling author Natalie Lloyd
"A story to make a soul ache, a story to make a soul heal, a story to make a soul leap." —Dusti Bowling, award-winning author of The Canyon's Edge
"A magical and darkly humorous journey into a world of mysterious children, timeless villains, and the undeniable power of friendship.” —Melanie Conklin, author of A Perfect Mistake and Every Missing Piece
Praise for The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
A 2020 ILA Teachers’ Choice
A 2019 Parents' Choice Award Gold Medal Winner
Winner of the 2019 CYBILS Award for Middle Grade Fiction
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Bank Street Books' Best Books of the Year
A Bookriot "25 Of The Best Middle School Books For Today's Readers" Pick
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2019
A 2020 Lone Star Reading List Selection
"Sometimes a story comes along that just plain makes you want to hug the world. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is Dan Gemeinhart’s finest book yet—and that’s saying something. Your heart needs this joyful miracle of a book." —Katherine Applegate, acclaimed author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree
“Coyote’s bold, engaging voice pops off the page . . . Gemeinhart infuses the story with moments of lyrical writing and folksy wisdom served up with a dollop of girl power.” –The New York Times
School Library Journal
★ 07/29/2022
Gr 4–8—Ravani is a lonely kid in Slaughterville, a town well known for its meat processing plant and little else. Virginia is a seemingly sullen girl with a passel of siblings who sneak into town under the cover of night and set up camp in an empty house near Ravani's. So begins Gemeinhart's moody, magnificent novel. A Stephen King—esque blend of the sentimental and sinister flows through the story—alleyway bullies, creekside confidences, a villain known as the Hunter with fingernails sharpened to points, and a breathtaking chase through the slaughterhouse's killing floor. The Hunter is in pursuit of Virginia's ragtag family, seeking the reward for their return to an equally sinister orphanage. However, as the story unravels, it's clear that the roving band of self-proclaimed Ragabonds are fine, functional, and perhaps a bit magical, living on their own. Their loving embrace of Ravani challenges his bleak view of his situation, and the powerful connection he forms with Virginia helps them both embrace their best qualities and become better together. Gemeinhart's omniscient narrator features heavily in the text, with an almost hypnotic commentary about souls and choices, but his best work in this book is scene-setting, painting the small-town tableaux fit for any drama required of his tale. Ravani and the Ragabonds are coded as white. VERDICT A tale by turns sweet and terrifying of friendship, bravery, and finding oneself in caring for others—this is for readers who enjoy dark tales with a lot of heart.—Emilia Packard
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-05-10
Ravani Foster and the whole town of Slaughterville are changed by the arrival of seven unusual children.
Skinny, lonely Ravani is the only one who sees the children arrive and move into the house across the street, and he soon finds a comrade in tough, golden-haired Virginia. Despite the local newspaper owner’s assertion that Slaughterville is not the kind of town where exciting things happen, Ravani’s life changes dramatically as Virginia and her chosen family of parentless kids calling themselves the Ragabonds let him in on their secret: They are on the run. When vicious bully Donnie learns that the Ragabonds are being pursued, he blackmails Ravani, who is desperate to protect them and equally desperate for Virginia, his first friend, to stay. She introduces him to the quietly revolutionary idea that things don’t have to be the way they’ve always been. The omniscient narrative voice is a strong presence throughout, drawing readers’ attention to themes including choices that make a difference, connections between people (“Sometimes, when two souls find each other in the darkness, the darkness goes away”), deciding who you want to be and not letting others define you, and the importance of home and family. Brief chapters from the perspective of the man hunting the Ragabonds ratchet up the suspense, culminating in an exciting sequence of events followed by a heartwarming ending. All main characters are coded White.
A story of fierce friendship, bravery, loyalty, and finding—or making—a place to belong. (Fiction. 8-12)
