Book Review: Road Trip Rescue

​When you are on the hunt for great children’s fiction, with authentic faith lessons, it can be seriously challenging. Books are either weak on story line, wishy-washy in their faith content, or clogged up with preachy, didactic sermons. But when you find a book that gets this balance right, when the faith lessons are integral to character development and the story itself is also fabulous, you know you’ve got a winner. 
That’s how I felt when I read Becca Wierwille’s Road Trip Rescue. 

Aimed at readers aged 8-12, this is an adventure with heart. When twelve year old Kimmy sees a magazine photo that looks exactly like the dog she lost two years ago, she knows she needs to go find him. Her chance comes when her eccentric aunt invites her on a road trip to Canada, passing through the town where the dog’s photo was taken. As Kimmy ventures off to rescue her beloved dog and best friend Bo, she learns the lessons of a road trip: that it can be about the journey, not just the destination.
What I really loved about this novel, however, wasn’t just the story about a search for a lost dog. It’s the added depth and layers that Wierwille has woven in. 
At the start of the story, Kimmy - who was born with only one hand - has some pretty significant friendship wounds. Her best friend has betrayed her, and apart from her dog Bo, Kimmy has struggled to feel accepted and not alone. As she ventures out of her comfort zone in her quest to find Bo, she realises her fear of hurt is stopping her from finding friendship and the comfort of God’s promises. The faith themes in this novel are addressed with a light touch, but that doesn’t make them irrelevant. Instead, they are seamlessly woven into the adventure, contributing to themes of self acceptance, courage, friendship and growth.  
This was a great read on so many levels and had me stopping to grin more than once. I loved the cast of characters and strength of writing. As an Aussie reader, I did wonder whether I’d appreciate the US road trip location (I’m the sort of reader that skips description to get back to the story), but I really enjoyed reading the details. Visiting New York City through the eyes of twelve year old Kimmy, was genuinely fun. 
Anyway, all that to say, Road Trip Rescue is a great read that ticks all the boxes if you are looking for faith inspired fiction for kids. It’s also available in ebook and audio too, so you could listen to a road trip story on your next road trip! (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

I reached out to Becca recently, to ask her a few questions as she launched her Kickstarter Campaign for Road Trip Redemption (Book 3 in the Road Trip series!): 

Penny: Your Road Trip series all include, well, 'road trips'! Is this something you enjoy doing with your family and what is the longest road trip you've ever done?
Becca: I love traveling with my family! However, despite my best efforts, I tend to focus more on the destination than on the journey to get there—so I enjoy being in a new place more than I enjoy getting there. Especially now that we have a toddler who despises long periods of time in the car. 
In Road Trip Rescue, Aunt Skylar tries to teach Kimmy to slow down and enjoy the journey, and maybe this is a skill I need to work on as well! That said, my longest road trip (strictly using road transportation) was probably to Florida. My longest trip that included air transportation was to Peru.

Penny: I love how you incorporate gentle themes of faith into your stories without being preachy. Was Christian fiction important in your life when you were young, and if so what impact did it have? 
Becca: I believe God touches hearts through stories, and I experienced that as a young reader. I learned so much about the brokenness of our world and the beauty of God's redemption through Christian fiction, because it opened my eyes to the vastness of experiences beyond my own.
My prayer now is that God would touch the hearts of readers through my books, showing them that they are never alone and that they are loved. (While also providing a really fun story—because like you said, I don't want my stories to be preachy!)

Penny: What has been the most challenging part of writing this series? 
Becca: The most challenging part of writing this series was probably ending it! I've grown to love all of these characters as if they are my friends . . . Kimmy, Daniel, and Jada. It's hard to leave them behind to begin a new series. And yet, I loved seeing how each of them transformed by the end of Road Trip Redemption, the third and final book in the series.
And I am excited about my newest project . . . sign up for my email newsletter for updates!

Penny: You are launching Book 3 with a Kickstarter Campaign. Have you launched all of your books this way? What do you love most about using Kickstarter (and what are the benefits for readers who 'back' your projects)?
Becca: Yes, I have launched all three Road Trip Rescue novels through Kickstarter. For anyone who is not familiar with Kickstarter, it’s a way for creators to fund their projects by offering exclusive offers/perks to anyone who "backs" the project. There are different reward levels to choose from, and you’re not charged unless the campaign meets its funding goal. Road Trip Redemption's campaign will run from January 7 to January 23.
I LOVE Kickstarter because it gives me a way to offer bonuses and connect directly with readers! Through Kickstarter, you can purchase an early copy of the book before the official release. It's like you're joining my publishing team to help get the book into the world and into the hands of more readers! You can also get your name (or your child's name) in the book's acknowledgments, and the different reward levels offer lots of value. For example, the $25 paperback level also includes the audiobook ($15 value) and ebook ($5 value). If you back during the first week of the campaign (between Tuesday, January 7 and Tuesday, January 14), you'll also get two middle grade ebooks as bonus rewards: Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton and Phooey Kerflooey by Kristen Joy Wilks. 
Kickstarter kind of feels like a virtual party for pre-launching a book, and I'd love for you to join me!

Penny: Here's the Kickstarter link for those interested in backing the Road Trip Redemption! ​

All the details you need:
Title: Road Trip Rescue (Book 1 in the Road Trip Rescue series)
Written by: Becca Wierwille
Publisher: Beloved Chronicles 
Available from Amazon