About the Book
Twelve-year-old King has been banished to the Vermont woods for the summer, and there’s nothing he can do about it. As if his parents getting divorced wasn’t bad enough, they’ve shipped him off to his aunt and uncle’s house to protect him like he’s some baby. The only bright side is being reunited with his favorite cousin, Nat, who he hasn’t seen in years.
At first, King wants nothing more than to go home to Boston. There are barely any other Black people in Vermont, the townsfolk are mean to him, and his relatives don’t even have Wi-Fi to play games! But a late-night encounter with a young coyote changes his mind. King develops a bond with the creature, who seems just as lonely and misunderstood as he is. Then King’s uncle calls the local trappers, saying the coyote is a threat to their farm, and King is forced to decide: return home to Boston, or stay and save his new friend?
Inspired by her own childhood traipsing through the Vermont wilderness, debut author Rachael MeyersJones brings a fresh take to the classic wilderness survival tale.
With the help of Nat, a veteran wilderness explorer and walking wildlife encyclopedia, King scales mountains, faces off against skunks, and sleeps under the stars to find a new home for the coyote — and just maybe, a home for himself, too.
Author’s Note
Adventure novels were a favorite genre as a kid. I loved being outside and imagining I had to survive in the wilderness against all odds! But I never read about characters who reflected my experience as an outdoorsy Mixed kid, or any examples of Black kids exploring the outdoors unless those stories were set during our enslavement or Jim Crow. I wanted to celebrate African American belonging in nature while acknowledging why we’ve been so distanced from our relationship with the woods and the wilderness, because it’s not by accident.
In King Coyote, King and Nat build deep connections with nature, with each other, with their complicated families, and with their sense of self. They go through as much pain as they do wonder and play, just like any tweenager searching for their place in the world. They proudly carry the legacy of their ancestors with the infinite possibilities their futures may hold. And through it all, they find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime navigating the wilderness with nothing but their wits and a wild coyote!
Pre-Order King Coyote
4 Ways to Help More Kids Find
King Coyote
- Request it from your local libraries and bookstores
Call up your neighborhood bookstore and your local library branch and request that they order a few copies of the book, if they haven’t already. Make sure that wherever you find books, King Coyote can be found there too! - Get King Coyote into the classroom
King Coyote is a great teaching book. It explores themes of racial identity, belonging, big transitions, and relationships between pre-teens and their grown ups. Talk to teachers and educators in your community about checking out the book to see if it fits in with their curriculum! - Like, Review, and Follow on major platforms
Unfortunately, distributors like Amazon are major players in the game. While we don’t encourage buying King Coyote on Amazon, there are ways to use their platform to help without adding to the harm they cause. The more you like and review, the more other platforms respond to the attention King Coyote is getting. And definitely do the same on Good Reads! - Collaborate with Rachael
Want Rachael to come to your school or community space for a reading? Interested in interviewing Rachael for an article, or booking her for a media event? Head to our Get In Touch page and make it happen!