The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise



Last updated Monday, October 19, 2026

Author: Dan Gemeinhart
Date of Publication: 2019
ISBN: 1250196701
Grade Level: 5th    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Nov. 2026

Synopsis: Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.

Coyote hasn't been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished - the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box - she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days... without him realizing it.

Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys...

Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all... but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.”

Note to readers:
•  After reading Chapters 1 and 2, you might want to jump ahead to Chapter 6 - where Coyote learns that her memory box could be destroyed and Chapter 7- where Coyote & Rodeo pick up their first hitchhiker with Rodeo’s 3 Questions. Also, Chapter 1 is in a store with a lot of intro to Coyote and sets up why she gets a pet. You could skip/condense some of the discussion of slushy flavors.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  The narrator of this story is a 12 year old girl called Coyote Sunrise. But her birth name is Ella. If you were going to give yourself a new name, what would it be and why?
•  Coyote and her father Rodeo live in an old school bus and travel around the country. Does that seem like fun or not fun?

Vocabulary

•  Radiated: Sent out heat or light. (For a person it means to have a quality people notice. He radiated confidence).
•  Smitten: To have sudden and strong feelings of liking or fascination for something or someone
•  Nomadic: Moving frequently from place to place without a permanent home.
•  Trajectory: The path an object follows as it moves through a space or the air. For a person, it means a path or real or expected developments. (She thought her soccer trajectory would be college team, Olympics and pro.)
•  Meander: To wander around without a goal or direction or to follow a winding, indirect course.
•  Resigned: Accepting something unpleasant that you can't easily change.
•  Manipulate: To deviously influence or control a person or situation to get what you want.
•  Melancholy: A deep, long-lasting feeling of sadness or gloom.
•  Moniker: A name or nickname.
•  Hitchhiker: A person who travels by getting free rides from passing vehicles, usually by standing by the side of the road and waving their thumb.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Coyote wasn’t allowed to have a pet. When she gets to keep her cat Ivan, she is really happy. What do you think made her so happy?
•  Why do you think Rodeo and Coyote changed their names and refused to use their real names? What does it reveal about how they deal with grief and sadness?
•  Rodeo makes potential passengers to answer 3 specific questions before boarding the bus. If you had to judge whether someone could join your journey using only 3 questions, what would they be?

Craft ideas:
•  1. Coyote says she has been to lots of gas stations & stores and restaurants on her travels. Make a sign for your restaurant, gas station or store to encourage travelers to come to your place. Be inventive! There’s a lot of competition, so make yours stand out!
•  2. Make paper plate cats (Ivan the Cat): https://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/paper-plate-crafts-for-kids/cat.html

Special activities:
•  Do the word search

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!