RACING THE CLOUDS

Overcoming the past redefines family bonds in this hopeful, heartfelt story.

Thirteen-year-old Sage lives in a trailer park in Virginia with her dad. She’s keeping a secret about her mom hidden even from her closest friend, Alejandro. Feeling guarded and guilty, Sage obsessively imagines do-overs of the day when everything changed. When the estranged maternal grandparents she’s never met invite Sage for a summer visit, she accepts despite her father’s opposition, eager to accept their offer to pay for her flight to Ohio. On the plane, Sage befriends Marla, another girl who’s traveling alone. Sage partially opens up to Marla, revealing her desire to look for clues to her mother’s life while she’s visiting her grandparents. By the time the plane lands, the girls are determined to stay in touch, and their fast friendship eventually leads Sage to a revelation of truths she was previously afraid to admit. Sage’s memories of her missing mom are interspersed throughout the story, even as Sage searches her grandparents’ home, looking for answers that remain just out of reach. She also befriends—and conceals—a stray dog who eventually becomes a source of joy, bringing the family closer together. The story centers on a white-presenting family; racial and ethnic diversity is cued throughout.

Complex emotional themes are handled with a gentle touch in this realistic story of resilience.