An Occasionally Happy Family

Theo Ripley is going on vacation. With his sister. And his father. And they are going to Big Bend, the least popular national park.

Theo is not thrilled.

The trip to Big Bend is everything a family trip is known for: fighting between siblings, fighting between parent and child, boredom during the long car ride, more fighting.

After they arrive, the family faces more challenges—scorching heat, long hikes, getting lost, meeting annoying fellow tourists, and even a bear standoff. Then Theo's dad reveals his surprise, and everything goes crazy.

Theo and all the characters in this story are so real you will swear you know them. They make the story with their quirks and obsessions.

It's a story that is both amazingly fun and deeply serious. Delightful. I can see this being a Texas Bluebonnet selection.