It took me a while to get through this so if you're looking at reviews to see if you should persevere, the answer is yes. It did take me a while and I did leave it and come back to it a few times, though I can't quite put my finger on why. I loved the characters, especially Hazmat and her cat and I really enjoyed her relationship with family when they returned home as well as her relationship with her dad. This is definitely a book to stick with.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was a fun adventure story featuring Hazel who is traveling the country with her trucker dad. She doesn't want to grow up or establish roots anywhere and is enjoying her time on the road. While this book did have some Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise vibes I found it a little chaotic at times and the story didn't captivate me as much as I would have hoped. Over all a good one though.

DNF at 35% - This was a sweet story, it was just getting way too long and started to feel like it was rambling. I did think I was 60%+ into the story and was shocked when I checked and saw that I had barely started it.

I can't say as I've ever encountered a book like this one before. It's more than just the trucker detail (though that's certainly a first). It's a child clinging to a way of life that the world tells them is dying, even as her father seems determined to move on in her best interest. Certainly we've seen child characters go to great lengths, hatch grand plans, to convince their parents that they are right. That small piece of this is familiar. But largely this is the grand story of people on the road: the characters that they meet and the chaos they encounter. The primary characters are strong and dynamic. The secondary characters are complex enough to be interesting. The plot takes some pretty wild turn but we can forgive that in the name of entertainment. A solid read.

What a lovely book! I enjoyed the author's style of writing, as well as the way she portrayed the unconventional family life of Hazel and her dad. It also made me think a bit deeper about the effects of technology across the board.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

BIG RIG was a funny, heartfelt, and at times zany MG contemporary with a very unique setting in the world of trucking. It will appeal to fans of THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF COYOTE SUNRISE. MG readers will love the protagonist's zany experiences and adventures.

A fun twist on the road trip story that will appeal to readers who enjoy Kate DiCamillo's Three Caballeros series or Coyote Sunrise. It is a bit unbelievable in parts (like the bus rescue) but overall it's fun and I think kids will really enjoy it,

Hazmat what a name to have as your call sign. Hazmat and her dad have all kinds of adventures on the road making me want to see what will happen next. I didn’t personally like that it felt like the author recycled the same plot point three times in this short middle grade book. Otherwise I enjoyed hearing about Gaddy the truck, the dads amazing barbecue grill, their additional family & friends.

I can appreciate the elements that middle grade books includes that are unlike other categories- but this one went a little overboard with the action in which Hazel and her dad, whose a long haul trucker where she accompanies him as his "navigator" and he homeschools her in the big rig as they travel around. But the characters and circumstances that they encounter are a little over the top to be believable altogether. Though understandably, the lessons Hazmat learns about the power of family and friendship and connectedness will last a lifetime and Hawes teaches about the world of truckers.

With a dad who holds a CDL and multiple additional licenses to drive and haul hazardous materials, oil/gas, and more, I can appreciate what point of the book but a girl whose mother dies and whose father decides to take her on the road is definitely unique. There is plenty of realism in the story but in addition, plenty that is extraordinary, but the point is made-- home is where you make it and all told, that's exactly what is so heart-warming about the story.

What a fun adventure this book takes you on! After mom died, Hazmat (Hazel) and dad have been trucking for seven years. Hazel is homeschooled by dad as they travel together, but dad wonders if they need to settle down so Hazel can be with other kids. Hazel doesn’t want that. She loves life on the road. We see them pick a rider, Willa. They find an abandoned baby and kitten and rescue a bus full of kids. This life is certainly entertaining; “it’s a new setting every day” and is “ a story that keeps on growing and changing…” Does dad decide to settle down and stop trucking?

This was a fun middle grade read. I loved that Hazel is homeschooled and it’s not a big deal. I love their travels and all the adventures they have.

“Big Rig” is a realistic fiction middle grade novel by Louise Hawes which is due to be released on August 9, 2022.

I was thrilled to receive an eARC from NetGalley and Peachtree Publishing Company.

“Big Rig” is the story of Hazel, aka Hazmat, her trucker handle. Her father is a truck driver, and since the age of 4, she has been on the road with him. Together they tackle home school, share countless adventures, meet new friends and reconnect with old friends, and experience a fair share of tears and laughter within the pages of this book.

Overall, I recommend this book for upper middle elementary.

I recieved an eARC of this book so I could read and review it.
Hazel, who goes by HazMat on the road, is a trucker, She’s grown up on the road with her dad, who started driving after her mother died, she’s been road-schooled, too. HazMat loves the road and their adventures, and is worried that her Dad feels she needs a more normal adolescence, with more regular friends, school, etc. What's more, HazMat is concerned about the future of trucking, and whether her dreams of having a truck of her own will ever come true with the rise of autonomous vehicles.

I loved this book. First of all, it's a slice of life that many kids have little or no experience with, but is necessary to our survival. It also models that careers outside of the traditional college path are vital and helpful. It is refreshing to see homeschooling portrayed without the whole focus being "kid goes back to school", and that HazMat is shown as actually getting an education. It is refreshing to see that HazMat's father changed his career midstream (from being an English professor to a trucker) and that this works for him and for his family. And I love that HazMat is a kid taking a non-traditional path of her own.

I think kids who love trucks and machines will enjoy this book, but I also think every kid who yearns for the road not taken will appreciate it, and I definitely think it's an awesome homeschooling book,

Ever wonder what life on the road as a long distance trucker would be like? Well then, catch a ride with 11-year-old Hazmat and her dad in their 18-wheeler, Leonardo, for a feel-good road trip across America. Author Hawes has written a novel where you will feel you are sitting high on the road, not a care in the world. Well almost…

Life on the road with Daddy is as good as gets for Hazel, trucker name, Hazmat. . Together, they’ve been taking jobs and crisscrossing the US for years. Mama died only a week after Hazel’s birth. Now Daddy’s talking about putting down roots. He feels it’s time Hazmat go to a real school and make friends her age, somewhere Mom’s ashes can rest on a mantel and not on a the dashboard of an eighteen wheeler. Her father is a former English Literature teacher and as a result Hazel’s education has not suffered. Her on the road education has actually been quite advanced.

Even as things change and Hazmat is coming of age, she isn’t ready to give up the freedom of long-distance hauling where the road is filled with surprises. In her short life she has had many unique experiences… plane crash rescues, robo trucks, runaway hitchhikers and abandoned babies to cite a few. This sounds like the basis for an exciting movie plot. On a long haul to Hollywood, Hazmat hatches a plan to make sure Daddy’s dream to settle down never becomes a reality. Because there’s only one place Hazmat belongs: in the navigator’s seat, right next to Daddy, with the whole country flying by and each day different from the last.

While not a fast paced, page turning novel, it is a heart-tugging, adventurous portrait of a father and daughter on a journey across America

This book is unlike any book I've read. It opened my eyes to an important part of our society that people don't really know about. Although being a light read, anyone can learn from this book. The characters teach us important lessons in what it truly means to be a family, and most of all the true meaning of a hero. It isn't flying around saving people, but it's being someone who cares about people and does the best they can. Big Rig is well written and a book that can be enjoyed by all ages.

This is a very sweet story about Hazel (Hazmat) with her Dad. Their trucking journey is so fun. I can understand why Hazmat doesn't want a change. She used to live on the road since very young, so the idea to live in a real house and normal life doesn't interest her. It's a recommended middle-grade book!

Thank you, Netgalley and Peachtree for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute middle grade! Fast read and entertaining. Cute story about adventures, coming of age, daughter and dad relationships and more! I would put in a class library!

A English Professor-turned-trucker Dad who listens to audiobooks on the road with his daughter, homeschools, watches Smokey the Bandit and visits museums? I mean, this is utterly delightful! An enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys a unique, quirky middle grade story that does not shy away from tough topics. Perhaps adults who grew up with a parent on the road a lot will find something here for them.

Big Rig is a middle grade first. From the uniquely named protagonist, Hazmat to her unlikely home situation (she lives in her dad’s 18 wheeler) this book will delight and touch readers of all ages. The plot focuses on Hazmat’s life on the road and readers learn life lessons through the encounters Hazmat has with the people she meets. The writing style, plot pacing, and characterization make Big Rig a MG read I could confidently recommend to my students.