A review by jencunn2024
Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

4.0

This middle grades YA fantasy features a young American Navajo girl named Nizhoni who dreams of being a true hero. She senses monsters in the real world and sometimes it is distracting. She is protective of her little brother who seems to attract the real-life monsters, some of the bullies at school. Next thing you know Nizhoni is accusing her dad’s boss of being a monster and then she realizes her dad has been kidnapped by his boss! She and her best friend Davery start working the case and end up on an adventurer’s journey along the trail of Navajo holy people and ancestors, including her mom who went missing when Nizhoni was just a toddler. Along the way, Nizhoni travels a traditional hero’s arc with her sidekicks — Davery and her brother Mac and a talking horned toad named Yazzie. Along the way she learns many valuable lessons about heroism, friendship, family, ancestry, and following your dreams. This is both a fun and modern story by fantasy writer Rebecca Roanhorse. It’s a great family read as well as setting sail to your middle grader’s imagination! There may be some great lessons about platonic friendship and respect for other kids as well.