The Poetry of Car Mechanics

"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.

Author: Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Publisher: Wordsong
Published: 04/15/2025
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.70w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781662660214
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2025
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2025
School Library Journal 04/04/2025 pg. 1
Booklist 04/22/2025

About the Author
Heidi E.Y. Stemple didn't want to be a writer when she grew up. In fact, after she graduated from college, she became a probation officer in Florida. It wasn't until she was twenty-eight years old that she joined the family business of writing. Since then, she has authored almost fifty books and numerous stories and poems, mostly for children, including several that she co-wrote with her mother, Jane Yolen. The Poetry of Car Mechanics is her first novel in verse. She lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Visit heidieystemple.com.