by Dusti Bowling (Author)
A USA Today bestseller!
Acclaimed author Dusti Bowling takes the bull by the horns in this moving novel about a boy struggling to keep his family together while facing the side effects of bull riding.
Thirteen-year-old Canyon loves bull riding, but the sport doesn't exactly love him back. His body is in constant pain and doctors have warned him about the dangers of his repeated concussions, but bull riding is the only thing he and his dad connect on ever since Canyon's mom died. Canyon is convinced winning the Junior World Bull Riding championship will be the thing to bring them together again, that once he has that shiny belt buckle all the pain will be worth it. Besides, Canyon has a secret way to help his hurt: playing the fiddle.
When Canyon is unexpectedly chosen for a music competition show, a new dream begins to form. But Dad is getting worse, and Canyon feels more pressure than ever to hold his family together--even if it means choosing to hurt himself bull riding over healing through music. Soon Canyon begins to wonder if he's holding on to all the right things, or if there are some he needs to let go of.
Author Biography
Dusti Bowling is the award-winning, bestselling author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, 24 Hours in Nowhere, The Canyon's Edge, Across the Desert, Dust, and the Aven Green chapter book series. Dusti's books have won the Reading the West award, the Sakura Medal, a Golden Kite Honor, the William Allen White Children's Book Award, and have been nominated for fifty state awards. Dusti currently lives in Arizona with her husband, three daughters, and a bunch of farm animals.
dustibowling.com
@dustibowling
Number of Pages: 240
Dimensions: 0.9 x 8.3 x 5.7 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: October 07, 2025
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: Holding on for Dear Life
Interest Level: Middle Grades, 4-8
Reading Level: 4.2
Point Value: 7
