Now You Say Yes: An Epic Road Trip for Middle Grade Readers

Fifteen-year-old Mari has just lost her mother, and in a desperate attempt to avoid getting caught up in the foster system—again—she convinces her super-smart and on-the-Autism-spectrum nine-year-old stepbrother, Conor, to take a cross-country road trip to find a new family and a place to call their own. Mari is too young to have a driver’s license, but she and Conor set out to drive all the way from Los Angeles to Massachusetts with the hope of finding their estranged grandmother.

After fighting the snarls of LA traffic, navigating the winding backroads of the Midwest, and learning all about the inner workings of Conor’s mind and the fascinating way he views the world around him, will these two siblings find a new home? Will their grandmother take them in despite everything that’s happened in the past?

An epic road trip novel filled with family, a stunning solar eclipse, and the perfect barbecue chips, don’t miss this touching tale from Grammy Award-winner and author Bill Harley. This beautiful exploration of identity is truly an unforgettable story perfect for middle grade read alouds and end-of-the-summer road trip reading.

Get a peek at this new middle grade must-read in this excerpt and video introduction from author Bill Harley, and dive in to the story in this first chapter read aloud.

Want to follow along with Mari and Conor on their road trip? Download their map and playlist!

“This poetically written and economically plotted hero’s journey by Harley (the Charlie Bumpers series) makes a heartwarming, hopeful case for self-forgiveness and second chances.” —Publishers Weekly

“A grand journey measured in both physical and emotional distance” —Kirkus Reviews

“As hopeful as it is heartbreaking.” —Foreword Reviews

“I rooted for outcast-misfit protagonists Mari and Conor every mile and (every single page!) of their intimate and epic, grief-fueled road trip. Bill Harley’s Now You Say Yes reminds us that acts of kindness—big and small—make all the difference.” —Patrick Flores-Scott, award-winning author of Jumped In and American Road Trip

“Now You Say Yes is an engaging and, at times, wild and hilarious road trip…[Harley’s] portrayal of autism and sibling relationships is spot-on, respectful, and insightful, adding immeasurably to the richness of the journey. Now You Say Yes is a page-turner that will entertain you, keep you laughing, and touch you as well.” —Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Brown University, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

Find Now You Say Yes this August at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!