Twelve-year-old Claire grows extremely nervous when her father uses the a-word, adventure, proposing that she, her younger brother, and he shed their house and head out to seek their fortunes in a newly converted van. Her dad, a master storyteller, spins a terrific tale about their new life on the road, but Claire isn't convinced. When it becomes clear that there is more to this trip than her dad is letting on, Claire begins to suspect that there are truths tucked into her father's wild stories that could explain their circumstances. Lang's heartfelt novel takes a seemingly simple premise and spins it into something intriguing and sincere. Claire's family radiates genuine warmth and affection, even as they're being tested, and readers will root for them at every turn. It's a terrific and moving tale that touches on the beauty of familial bonds, the nebulous concept of home, and the importance of the stories we choose to tell ourselves about our lives.

Stories don't always end the way we'd hope.That's the conclusion reached by 12-year-old Claire Jacobus, who is just trying to find out what really happened to the mother who disappeared from her life when she was 4. Meanwhile, her playful dad only spins more and more fanciful tales about what might have transpired, to the delight of her 8-year-old brother, Patrick. And when their father suddenly decides they'll leave their house in favor of a van with sleeping hammocks, he insists they are not homeless, per se, but instead off on a "Grand Adventure" akin to those memorialized on Instagram as #vanlife. The family eventually goes in search of the mother despite Claire's knowledge of divorce papers and the emotional risk involved. Even filtered through Claire's third-person perspective, Lang deftly shows how endearing Dad is despite his faults, and readers will enjoy the embedded story of ancestor Wrong Way Jacobus and his inedible baguettes. Conclusion: We may not always get to choose our circumstances, but we sometimes get to choose the narrative lens through which we see our world. The family presents as white.A free-wheeling jaunt that merges fact with fiction in hopes of finding greater truths. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

Gr 4-7 Claire's unemployed dad Scottie has always been in search of The Grand Adventure, but even Claire is astounded when he converts a Sprinter van into a camper (without plumbing) and sells their home, telling Claire and her younger brother Patrick that it's time to hit the road and find their own grand adventure. Along the way, he shares the allegory of their mythical great-grandparent, Edgar "Wrong Way" Jacobus. Angry and resistant at first, Claire eventually opens up to the experience, even while she senses an underlying purpose in her dad's travels that he's not sharing. When their trip accidentally reconnects them with their estranged mother, Claire learns that family is as much the people you choose as those related by blood. Reminiscent of Dan Gemeinhart's The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise , the only thing that doesn't ring true about this story is Scottie's reluctance to tell his children the real reason for their current nomadic lifestyle. The family shares a love of snappy repartee, and even Claire's preteen angst is periodically overcome by the banter. A semi-happy ending leaves Claire with the realization that adventure can bring painful changes in tandem with improved outcomes. VERDICT Purchase where realistic fiction for tweens is in demand. Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX