“Sunny!”

From Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm’s Sunny Side Up.

What should have been a fun summer in 1976 Florida, quickly develops into an almost punishment for young Sunny. She was looking forward to spending the summer with her grandfather, but with everyone around her being old, Sunny is left with the intense Florida heat. While Sunny struggles with some rough memories and situations from home, she’s stuck feeling super bored. However, when she meets Buzz, the two kids form a friendship that helps change the rest of the summer. Sunny is thrilled to have a friend her own age and the two quickly take on adventures both in the comic books they read and the money-making plans that they try to pull off. While Sunny’s friendship and adventures with Buzz make her time in Florida so much more enjoyable, she still struggles with the big question of why she was sent away for the summer. With help from both Buzz and her grandfather, Sunny learns that good can come from the darkest of situations… it just needs a little bit of hope.

Jennifer Holm creates a fun, moving story that will connect with a wide range of readers. The illustrations by the author’s brother are bright and easily add a captivating element to the story. There is a good balance between the light, hilarious happenings and the more serious elements that help drive the story. Sunny Side Up is a quick read that manages to provide readers with a story and characters that are easy to connect with, but are hard to forget.