From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin comes a middle-grade road-trip story through American race relations past and present, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds. How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma: - Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED. - Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either. - Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home. What Not to Bring: - A Cell Phone: Avoid contact with Dad at all costs. Even when G'ma starts acting stranger than usual. Take a trip through the American South with the New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone and an eleven-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem-his G'ma included. Editorial Reviews Praise for Clean Getaway: "A road novel that serves in part as a primer on important scenes and themes of the civil-rights movement... [A] poignant caper." --The Wall Street Journal "An absolute firecracker of a book." --Booklist, starred review "A heartwarming, family-centered adventure that will leave readers guessing until the end." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Rich in history, Stone's middle-grade debut entertains and informs young readers....A road trip to remember." --Kirkus Reviews "Stone has crafted a history lesson in road-trip form....a good addition for school libraries seeking unconventional approaches to history." --School Library Journal Praise for Dear Martin: "Powerful, wrenching." --John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down "Absolutely incredible, honest, gut-wrenching. A must read!" --Angie Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give "Painfully timely and deeply moving." --Jodi Picoult "Raw and gripping." --Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling coauthor of All American Boys - From the Publisher *10/21/2019 Part history lesson, part road trip, this notable middle grade debut by Stone (Jackpot) stars William "Scoob" Lamar, a biracial, black-presenting 12-year-old, as he heads off on a road trip with his beloved grandmother, G'ma, who is white. He mostly goes to escape a punishment from his father, but as the two make their way through the South, Scoob learns more about the grandfather whom he never met, the interracial couple's 1963 road trip, which G'ma aims to complete, and the ways in which the world has changed and remained the same. As they make their way toward Juarez, Mexico, Scoob begins to suspect that G'ma might be up to something more suspicious than recreating a vacation and becomes torn between contacting another adult and protecting his grandmother. This dual tour through pre- and post-civil rights movement America confronts the country's difficult past, including how fraught with danger travel was to the average black citizen, while raising questions about what progress should look like. A heartwarming, family-centered adventure that will leave readers guessing until the end. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rena Rossner, the Deborah Harris Agency. (Jan.) - Publishers Weekly 12/01/2019 Gr 3-6-- William Lamar is an 11-year-old black boy whose anger gets the better of him during an altercation with a school bully. Unfortunately for him, a teacher didn't witness the bully's behavior, so William is the one who gets in trouble. William is grounded and subjected to long-winded lectures about his responsibilities as a black boy. His previous involvement in a school cheating scandal doesn't help matters. William knows that people view his actions differently because he's black, but no one seems to want to listen to his side of the story. When his grandmother asks him to go on a road trip with her, William can't wait to leave the solitary confines of his house to hit the road. William and his grandmother use the Green Book, an old-school guide that black people, and interracial couples like his grandparents, used for safe travel in the civil rights days. As they travel deeper into the South, William learns more about his family and the painful secrets that inspired his grandmother's desire to take this journey. Stone has crafted a history lesson in road-trip form. The novel's pace and length make it an ideal choice for reluctant readers. VERDICT This lighthearted adventure story explores racial inequality and the complex nature of interracial relationships. This title is a good addition for school libraries seeking unconventional approaches to history.--Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH - School Library Journal Narrator Dion Graham's soft voice evokes the tenderness between biracial middle schooler "Scoob" Lamar and G'ma, his white octogenarian grandmother. There are many other moods in this audio as well, and Graham succeeds with all of them. There's surprise as Graham's squeaky-voiced G'ma carries him off on a road trip in a new Winnebago, then sadness when he learns she's sold her home to buy it. There's "mad in his belly" when Scoob thinks of his father's disapproval. Scoob is confused and concerned about the many mood shifts and concerning behaviors of his usually dependable G'ma. The mix of humor and emotions, powerful writing, and complex lessons about personal and political injustices are all marvelously expressed by Graham in this compelling listen. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine - JANUARY 2020 - AudioFile 2019-09-15 Using the Negro Travelers' Green Book and her hidden past as a road map, a grandma takes her grandson on a cross country journey. When G'ma pulls up to William "Scoob" Lamar's house in a brand-new Winnebago and invites him on an adventure, Scoob leaves a note for his dad and jumps in. Despite not knowing where they are going, or why G'ma has traded in her Mini Cooper and house for the RV, Scoob is a willing wingman because he wants to save spring break and escape his strict single dad for a few days. Readers will appreciate the bond between Scoob and G'ma; Stone balances fun with emotion for a compelling read. After they cross from Georgia to Alabama and G'ma keeps avoiding Dad's calls, Scoob begins to get suspicious. When G'ma lets him see the contents of her once off-limits treasure box, which includes a 1963 edition of the Travelers' Green Book, Scoob understands this trip means much more than even he imagined. The complex role race plays in their family and on this trip--Scoob is mixed-race and presents black, and G'ma is white--is explored in a meaningful way that provides details about a period in time as well as present-day realities. Rich in history, Stone's middle-grade debut entertains and informs young readers. The subdued ending may frustrate, but the journey, punctuated by Anyabwile's grayscale cartoons, is well worth it. A road trip to remember. (Fiction. 8-12) - Kirkus Reviews