Start with a road trip. Add in a family of scammers with a son who wants to be better. It sounds like a recipe for a pretty nonsense, madcap story. And at the outset, that's what we get. Ridiculous cons and a family that never quits. Perry is initially sympathetic and then a little bit uptight. Our affection for him wanes. At about that point, though, Vrabel starts slipping in more serious notes, seeding the narrative with a more grounded reality that makes for much more compelling reading and ultimately a pleasant book.

Perry Homer's family is bad. Literally - everyone says it, even the people on the news. After Perry's mom's cancer diagnosis, the family is sent into a tailspin and packs up to live life as grifters. A discerning teacher befriends Perry and offers him a chance to change the course of his life with the possibility of attending a private boarding school. As Perry tries to prepare for the interview, his family cons the wrong person who sets out to make them pay for the trick.

Simultaneously funny and heartbreaking, the reader follows Perry and his family as they navigate enormous life challenges and try to correct past wrongs. As an adult, parent, and educator, I made many connections with Perry's poor family. I anticipate seeing this title on state reading award lists.