Rachael MeyersJones

See What People Are Saying About King Coyote

“Fans of Jason Reynold’s As Brave As You will fall hard for MeyersJones’s King on his way to trust and compassion in King Coyote. Abundant heart, discovery, and adventure in the home and in the wilderness. Embark!”
– Rita Wiliams-Garcia, National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor author of One Crazy Summer

Kirkus Reviews
“What begins as the story of an anxious, homesick boy becomes a heartwarming tale of risking everything for a fellow creature and learning a lesson about belonging and strength of family. The wilderness adventure King goes on with Nat isn’t just about saving Coal; in the process he learns how to cope with the pain of his parents’ divorce, the racism he experiences, and being stuck in a place where he doesn’t feel like he belongs. An uplifting story of family and finding your place in the world.”

“King Coyote is a must-read for anyone who loves the outdoors—and for kids who aren’t sure about it yet. MeyersJones’s propulsive adventure through the Vermont wilderness is a moving and deftly handled exploration of who belongs where and the healing power of the natural world. This book made me want to sleep under a tree in the rain—but only if King and Nat were there to help light a fire!”
– Leah Stecher, author of The Things We Miss and A Field Guide to Broken Promises

“A wilderness adventure that touches on themes of empathy, belonging, and different ways to survive in multiple areas of life. As King learns how to navigate the outdoors, he also learns how he wants to respond to situations both in and out of his control. This novel doesn’t shy away from big topics, but presents them in a way that young readers can relate to and understand. MeyersJones shows nature and living creatures as not to be conquered, but to be communed with. Readers will root for King and Nat as they go on a high-stakes quest to help save a friend. This is a brave, honest, and powerful story.”
– Florence Migga, author of The Summer Scrapbook

“MeyersJones delivers an assured debut that captures the messy beauty of growing up. King’s journey from city kid to wilderness explorer rings true at every turn, thanks to richly drawn characters who feel like kids you’d want to hang out with. Set against Vermont’s stunning Northeast Kingdom, this story balances laugh-out-loud moments with deep empathy, reminding readers that belonging isn’t found—it’s claimed.”
– Mary Wilcox, author of The Hollywood Sisters series

“This story is important, emotional, true. It is also joyfully, brilliantly entertaining. History is present, legacy and heritage are present, all packed into a rollicking adventure. I couldn’t put the book down as King and Nat embarked on their final journey—though I admit, some of those Vermonters scared me more than the coyotes did…”
– Victoria M. Adams, author of The House At the End of the Sea

“King Coyote is the perfect middle grade combination of authentic coming-of-age story and exciting survival story with just the right amount of stakes. I couldn’t put it down!”
– Catherine Arguelles, author of Flip Turns and First to Find

“A heart-racing and tender story of survival, belonging and discovering who we are, no matter where we may be. Readers will be holding their breath and cheering for King as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime through wildernesses both outside and within. A must-read for the adventure-seeker and for anyone who has ever found connection and home in the seemingly most unlikely of places.”
– Anna Lapera, author of Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice

“With beautiful writing and deeply felt characters, King Coyote took my breath away. Rachael MeyersJones writes with such tenderness and truth about a boy learning to stand tall in a world that doesn’t always see his worth—navigating the quiet complexities of racial identity, the deep ache of his parents’ separation, and the healing balm of family. Through a lone coyote—struggling to survive and hunted simply for being wild—he discovers that freedom is something we must protect, in others and in ourselves. And amid Vermont’s rugged hills, deep woods, and secret trails, he finds something he didn’t know he was searching for: belonging. This is a story that lingers long after the last page.”
– Ritu Hemnani, award-winning author of Lion of the Sky

Foreward Reviews
“In Rachael MeyersJones’s stirring novel King Coyote, a city boy navigates the rugged Vermont wilderness and the even more treacherous landscape of his family’s dissolution.
Twelve-year-old King is a “soup-brained zombie” of the digital age, resentful of his summer “vacation” to his relatives’ farm while his parents navigate their separation. However, with the help of his cousin Nat—a “walking wildlife encyclopedia” and puckish survivalist—King begins to trade his video games for the sensory-rich reality of the farm. He also forms an unexpected connection with Coal, a scrawny, misunderstood coyote pup with a clipped ear. Indeed, King recognizes his own loneliness and displacement in the animal.
When local trappers are called to remove Coal as an alleged threat to the neighboring farms, the narrative shifts into a high-stakes adventure. King and Nat embark on a perilous rescue mission involving a stolen canoe and a daring trek toward the Canadian border.
Empathy and conservation are among the championed themes of this adventure-filled, heartwarming tale about the lengths one will go to protect the vulnerable. Indeed, King’s evolution into a resilient protector is handled with authenticity and grace. He learns that “a place becomes like a person, when you know it so well.” This transformation is mirrored in the prose, which balances the urgency of the survival plot with quiet, emotional resonance. The settings are developed with immersive details, as of the earthy “guttural chatter” of chickens, the scent of cow manure, and the haunting silence of the deep woods.
A classic wilderness survival tale featuring a Black hero, the evocative novel King Coyote concerns the complex intersections of family change and environmental stewardship.”
– John M. Murray