Popular Middle Grade Author Dusti Bowling Shares “Across the Desert”

St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Reading Garden Series for Young Audiences is pleased to present middle-grade fiction author Dusti Bowling for a discussion of “Across the Desert.”

The event will take place on Friday, April 21, 6:30 p.m. the Grand Glaize Branch, 1010 Meramec Station Road, Manchester, MO 63021.

The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from the Novel Neighbor.

Bestselling and award-winning author of “Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus,” Dusti Bowling shares the story of one girl’s remarkable journey across the treacherous Arizona desert to rescue a young pilot stranded after a plane crash. “Across the Desert” is a gripping story of survival, friendship, and rescue.

Twelve-year-old Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: “The Desert Aviator,” where 12-year-old “Addie Earhart” shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. While watching this daring girl fly through the sky, Jolene can dream of what it would be like to fly with her, far away from her own troubled home life where her mother struggles with a narcotic addiction. And Addie, who is grieving the loss of her father, finds solace in her online conversations with Jolene, her biggest—and only—fan.

Then, one day, it all goes wrong: Addie's engine abruptly stops, and Jolene watches in helpless horror as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video goes dark. Jolene knows that Addie won’t survive long in the extreme summer desert heat. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, it's up to Jolene to find a way to save the Desert Aviator. Packed with adventure and heart, “Across the Desert” speaks to the resilience, hope, and strength within each of us.

DUSTI BOWLING is the bestselling author of “Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus,” ”24 Hours in Nowhere,” “Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus,” and “The Canyon's Edge.” 

Program sites are accessible. With at least two weeks' notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Call 314-994-3300 or contact us.