REVIEW - NORTHWARD TO THE MOON

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Outdo Yourself Challenge(155/200)
50 States Challenge(Nevada)
52 Books in 52 Weeks(Wk.41)

"Northward to the Moon" by Polly Horvath
Product Description(Amazon.com)
Jane and her family have moved to Canada . . . but not for long. When her stepfather, Ned, is fired from his job as a high school French teacher (seems he doesn’t speak French), the family packs up and Jane embarks on a series of new adventures. At first, she imagines her family as a gang of outlaws, riding on horseback in masks, robbing trains, and traveling all the way to Mexico. But the reality is different: Setting off by car, they visit the tribe of Native Americans with whom Ned once lived, head to Las Vegas in search of Ned’s magician brother, and wind up spending the summer with his eccentric mother on her ranch out west. As Jane lives through it all—developing a crush on a ranch hand, reevaluating her relationship with Ned, watching her sister Maya’s painful growing up—she sees her world, which used to be so safe and secure, shift in strange and inconvenient ways.
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (February 23, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375861106
ASIN: B0058M7F5S

MY THOUGHTS: Jane is ready for her whole family to hit the road - and their choice will lead them to many adventures with relatives and strangers alike. This book is told through the eyes of Jane. She wants an adventure, but it turns into a family reunion for Ned, her stepfather. When Ned gets a bag of money left from his brother they are off to find him, but can't so they head to Ned's mothers place. Ned's mother falls off a horse and is bed ridden, so Ned calls his sisters to come help. This turns into a family reunion for Ned. They all end up trying to help Ned's mother but they seem to forget to ask what Ned's mother wants. The characters in this book are very good and I enjoyed reading about their lives. Does Ned and his family get things worked out? You'll have to read the book to find out.

MY RATING: 4