Across the Desert, by Dusti Bowling

Each Friday that school is in session, I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from SRCSA library. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for Sept. 27, 2024 is Across the Desert, by Dusti Bowling.

Presenting: the WINNER, in 2024, of the California Young Reader Medal, in its “Intermediate” category. Twelve-year-old Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: “The Desert Aviator,” where 12-year-old “Addie Earhart” shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. While watching this daring girl fly through the sky, Jolene can dream of what it would be like to fly with her, far away from her own troubled home life where her mother struggles with a narcotic addiction. And Addie, who is grieving the loss of her father, finds solace in her online conversations with Jolene, her biggest — and only — fan. Then, one day, it all goes wrong: Addie’s engine abruptly stops, and Jolene watches in helpless horror as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video goes dark. Jolene knows that Addie won’t survive long in the extreme summer desert heat. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, it’s up to Jolene to find a way to save the Desert Aviator.
https://youtu.be/fqtCpuMXgWw