
“Sometimes it’s best not to see your whole path laid out before you. Let life surprise you…There are more stars out there than just the ones with names. And they’re all beautiful.”― Clare Vanderpool, Navigating Early
This is the tale of two boys and their adventure along the Appalachian Trail to find the great black bear. Jack, is sent from his home in Kansas to attend a boys’ boarding school in Maine. He is homesick and doesn’t fit in with the other boys. In his loneliness, he befriends, Early, a strange boy who generally keeps to himself, loves math, and refuses to believe what others believe to be true. Their unlikely friendship is tested when they begin their journey along the Appalachian Trail on one of their school breaks. There the meet colorful and sometimes dangerous characters, make some shocking discoveries, and hope to make it home alive.
Clare Vanderpool has once again created a meaty, layered, and engaging tale of personal discovery, redemption, and our interconnectedness.
Content Advisory: Death of a parent, child peril