The Poetry of Car Mechanics [Hardcover]

A Schneider Family Book Award YA Honor Book
A School Library Journal Best Book
NCTE Notable Children's Verse Novel
2026 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
A Bank Street Best Book

“This beautifully crafted novel sings and soars.”
—Nikki Grimes, author of Ordinary Hazards

Dylan seeks solace through birdwatching and poetry in the woods behind his grandfather’s auto shop—but when he rescues an injured hawk, he must learn to confront the broken parts in himself in this powerful middle-grade novel-in-verse.

15-year-old Dylan has always felt like an outsider in his small town. Isolated when he was younger as the result of his unpredictable, now absent mother and feeling like a disappointment to his grandfather who has stepped in to raise him, Dylan finds relief in the woods behind his grandfather's auto shop. Amidst the cool quiet of the trees, Dylan thrives on bird watching and writing poetry. But one afternoon after spotting an injured hawk, Dylan finds himself pushing out of his comfort zone to track down help for the bird—and ends up rescuing a part of himself in the process.

In this luminous middle-grade novel-in-verse on navigating the lonely tumult of self-discovery amid complicated family history, Dylan relays his story with bracing emotional clarity.★ “Dylan’s poignant, crystal-clear verse narration contains layers of grief...despite this, Dylan has a steady, quiet sense of self... the cadence and brevity of stanzas and lines shift with Dylan’s emotions, and casual observations organically lead to profound insights without Dylan seeming overly wise for his years. This is one for the quiet kids, who know who they are and where they want to fly but who haven’t yet found the right flock.&rdquol3ì