I loved this book by author, Catherine Ryan Hyde. In Take Me With You, a burned-out teacher, August Shroeder, spends his summer traveling across the country. This summer, he plans to spread the ashes of his deceased son. When August’s RV breaks down, the mechanic makes a strange offer: take my two young boys for the summer in exchange for the cost of repairs. Turns out, the mechanic, a single parent, has jail time to serve and no way to take care of his sons.

At first, August thinks no way–this is insane–but soon finds he can’t disappoint the young boys who have never been on a vacation in their entire life.

One of my favorite things to do is camp and sightsee, so August’s travels appealed to me. In fact, I’ve visited two of the destinations in the book, the fantastic natural formations in Bryce Canyon in Utah and the geysers in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. But it’s definitely the young boys who I fell in love with and it turns out, so does August. What I enjoyed in the story was how August gave the boys things they had never experienced—a male figure they could count on to keep his word and someone who cared about how they felt. Slowly, it’s revealed that their father has a drinking problem. Although he doesn’t physically abuse the boys, their father leaves them alone far too often to fend for themselves.

But what will happen at the close of the summer? This story promises to pull at your heartstrings. Come along on a vacation that promises much more than simple adventure!