Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 Gr 4–6—Hazel's mother died when she was a newborn, so it's been just her and Dad trucking on the road together. Hazel is homeschooled by her truck driver father (who also has a PhD in English Literature), and even though he keeps talking about getting a home and Hazel going to school one day, she wants to put off that future for as long as possible. To Hazel, the road is home, and she wants other people to understand that, too. As the plot progresses, Hazel and her father find themselves in one unbelievable situation after another—encountering a teenage runaway, rescuing a van of school children, and saving a cat from an airplane crash to name a few—and Hazel uses them all for her trucker script she wants to send to Hollywood executives. While Hawes has a unique premise with lots of potential, it can feel like readers are on a very long trucking trip with a lot of curves and one too many rest stops. Many of the things that happen to Hazel and her father could happen individually, but it seems highly improbable that so many things would happen to them in such a short span of time. And while readers might be able to understand that all of these events bring Hazel and her father closer together while teaching important life lessons, it becomes too much to suspend disbelief. VERDICT A fair purchase for libraries seeking books about father-daughter relationships or trucker life.—Kerri L. Williams - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2022 Life on the open road is a joy to Hazel (aka Hazmat), who loves riding shotgun alongside her dad in their 18-wheeler, Leonardo. Eleven years old and motherless (though Mom’s ashes always ride with them), Hazmat is on the verge of teendom, with all the joys and struggles it entails. Through a series of vignettes, readers get to know Hazmat’s history and join her on adventures that include a plane crash, a runaway, an abandoned infant, a bus accident, a flood, and more. She and her dad prove ever helpful and heroic no matter the situation. Hazel chronicles all these happenings, hoping to create a TV series. But change is in the air because Dad wants to put down roots in one place and live a “normal” life. But why would they want that when they have such wonderfully unique friends and experiences? Hawes’ breezy tale will capture readers’ attention, piquing their interest through highway high jinks and keeping them wondering about where Hazmat’s adventures will take them next. An original tweak on the road trip story. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.

Booklist - 07/01/2022 - Copyright 2022 Booklist.