Middle schoolers have a lot to deal with, from bullies to burgeoning hormones, on top of their homework. Throw in a supernatural ability to detect monsters, and you’ve got a real recipe for mayhem.
As though seventh grader Nizhoni Begay’s strange reality couldn’t get any weirder, her dad’s new boss, Mr. Charles, has started to show unsettling interest in her and her brother, Mac—and in their family’s Navajo heritage. After their father suddenly disappears, Mac and Nizhoni, along with her best friend, Davery, find themselves on the run. It will take all of their knowledge of Navajo legends, not to mention every ounce of their courage, to find Nizhoni’s father and save their world from the ancient creatures Mr. Charles has unleashed.
Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author Rebecca Roanhorse (Trail of Lightning) adds to the increasingly diverse roster of Rick Riordan’s eponymous imprint with Race to the Sun. Native American myth and lore take center stage in this story, supported by action and adventure that will keep readers turning pages as they anxiously anticipate the outcome of Nizhoni’s thrilling quest. It’s populated with quirky characters reminiscent of Riordan’s own stories, so every reader will find someone to connect with in this novel.
Through its incorporation of important aspects of Native American beliefs and culture, including protecting the natural world and honoring family, Race to the Sun adds vital and long-overdue positive representation of contemporary Native Americans to young readers’ shelves.
