Now you say yes

Following the sudden death of her adoptive mother, former foster child Mari, 15, hatches a plan to drive across the country with her nine-year-old brother Conor, who is on the autism spectrum. Determined not to reenter "the System" or be separated from Conor, she picks up their mother's car and the family's camping equipment, planning to drive from Los Angeles to their estranged grandmother's home in Massachusetts--though she's unsure whether Nana will forgive her for a long-ago transgression, the details of which slowly unfold. To get Conor, who is interested in astronomy, onboard with the trip, she promises him that they can stop to view a solar eclipse. Along the way, the cued-white kids encounter external obstacles--from dwindling cash to misplaced car keys--and sweet moments ("Conor splashing in the water, singing to the Gulls and the B-52's"). As Mari battles feelings of alienation and attempts to make adult decisions, Conor memorizes the map and curls up in a dog crate ("a small safe place") for comfort. Though Mari doesn't always speak sensitively about her brother's disorder, this poetically written and economically plotted hero's journey by Harley (the Charlie Bumpers series) makes a heartwarming, hopeful case for self-forgiveness and second chances. Ages 10--14. (Aug.)

Mari is lost. Her mother has died suddenly, but before she even breaks the news to her 9-year-old brother, Conor, who is on the autism spectrum, she knows they have to get out of there. Mari was in the foster care system before being adopted; her adoptive mother gave birth to Conor, and their dad later left the family. With this history and no one else to turn to, Mari refuses to get thrown back into the system, much less allow Conor to be separated from her. So, she takes her mother's car and their camping gear, and they leave Los Angeles for their grandmother's house in Massachusetts even though they haven't spoken in three years and Mari doesn't have a license (she's 15). It's 2017, and she persuades Conor, an astronomy buff, to comply by promising they will stop in Missouri to see the much-hyped upcoming solar eclipse. During their cross-country trip, they also visit state and national parks, eat a lot of chips, briefly pick up a hitchhiker, grieve, and meet with some genuine kindness. This road-trip story is introspective and revealing, much like the desert highway in the middle of the night. Mari's perspective is transparent and fragile, completely realistic to her circumstances. Her attitude toward Conor, while fundamentally loving, is not perfect, but it feels honest for a teen sibling in her position. Main characters read as White. A grand journey measured in both physical and emotional distance. (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.