Racing the Clouds

“Descriptions of Sage’s guilt over the events surrounding her mother’s absence, as well as the teen’s love for dogs and stellar ping-pong skills, coalesce into a fully fleshed-out character. Her struggles in learning how to cope with current and past events and accept help make for a satisfying emotional journey by Dunlap.” —Publishers Weekly

“A riveting novel with crucial themes, Racing the Clouds lays bare the communal effects of drug addiction as a girl seeks generational healing.” —Foreword Reviews

“Complex emotional themes are handled with a gentle touch in this realistic story of resilience.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Sage’s voice rings with the authenticity of a compassionate, thoughtful kid who’s struggling between wanting to take care of everyone else, wanting someone to take care of her, and wanting to just run away and leave everyone to deal with their own toxicity.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“A compelling, emotionally engaging, heartfelt coming-of-age novel….Racing the Clouds is an original, skillfully written, and fully absorbing novel that is especially and unreservedly recommended for young readers ages 10-14.” —Midwest Book Review

“Sad but delicately handled… . For readers of Ann Braden’s The Benefits of Being an Octopus.” —Booklist

“Dunlap manages to keep the story breezy while never ignoring the emotional depths of the situation, letting Sage—and possibly readers—come to a place of healing at just the right time… . A heartfelt contemporary novel for fans of Jennifer L. Holm’s Sunny Side Up and Gennifer Choldenko’s The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Dunlap’s sensitive novel features realistic characters and warm friendships of the human and canine variety. Readers will be rooting for Sage from the first page to the last.” —Children’s Literature

Sydney Dunlap is an award-winning author and former elementary school teacher who has worked extensively with youth facing challenging circumstances. She enjoys reading and writing heartfelt, hopeful books that explore tough topics that aren’t often addressed in middle grade literature. Her debut novel, It Happened on Saturday, has received several medals and was named a 2025 OLA Masterlist selection and 2024 Crystal Kite Honor Book. A lifelong animal lover, Sydney lives with her family in a home where the dogs and cats outnumber the people.