Sunny Side Up

June 1, 2015
In a compassionate story that opens in the summer of 1976, the brother-sister team behind the Babymouse and Squish series introduces 10-year-old Sunny Lewin, who is facing unwanted change on multiple fronts. Sunny’s planned vacation with a best friend has turned into a solo trip to visit her grandfather at a Florida retirement village. With no kids in sight, a squeaky hide-a-bed to sleep on, and a haircut that falls short of the Dorothy Hamill wedge she’d hoped for, Sunny is disappointed at the direction her summer has taken. Through skillfully deployed flashbacks, the Holms reveal that these concerns, while not trivial, mask a larger one—Sunny’s older brother’s increasingly out-of-control use of alcohol and drugs. Colored by Lark Pien in creamy aquas, corals, and yellows, the illustrations shout “Florida coast,” and, along with the short chapters, give the story the feel of a serialized Sunday comic. Sunny’s introduction, via a new friend, to comic-book heroes like Swamp Thing and Batman creates some slightly heavy-handed but effective parallels for Sunny’s conflicted feelings about a family she cares for deeply. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

Starred review from August 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-The Holm siblings, of "Babymouse" and "Squish" (both Random) fame, and colorist Pien, of American Born Chinese fame (First Second, 2008), have created a must-have graphic novel based on true events from the Holms' childhood. The year is 1976, and Sunny Lewin will be spending the summer with her grandfather in Florida. Artistic details in the panels, such as the style of the clothes and the cars, give readers a good sense of the time period. Sunny arrives in Florida feeling hopeful that it will be an exciting summer, but her enthusiasm quickly fades when she realizes that she has to sleep on a squeaky sofa bed and her grandfather is too busy dragging her on boring errands to take her to Disney World. Sunny's days start to look up when she befriends a boy from the neighborhood; together, they read superhero comic books and find lost golf balls and missing cats for reward money. Overshadowing Sunny's summertime adventures are events from the past year that have led to her last-minute Florida trip. She loves her older brother, but when he takes drugs, he makes poor choices and unintentionally hurts her. Sunny feels confused and responsible for her brother's erratic behavior. This title sensitively portrays how drug abuse affects loved ones through visual imagery and realistic dialogue. VERDICT A humorous yet emotional story with a memorable protagonist and detailed full-color art that make this a perfect choice for fans of Raina Telgemeier.-Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2015
Set largely during the summer of 1976, this semiautobiographical graphic novel from the brother-and-sister team behind the Babymouse series includes an amiable grandfather, U.S. bicentennial festivities, and a trip to Disney Worldbut it is much more than a lighthearted nostalgia piece. Ten-year-old Sunshine Sunny Lewin had been looking forward to spending August at the shore as usual, but her parents have suddenly sent her to Florida to stay with Gramps instead. Her less-than-thrilling days at the retirement community, complete with early-bird specials and trips to the post office, improve after she befriends the groundskeeper's son, comics-obsessed Buzz. The two spend their time doing odd jobs for spending money and mulling over age-old superhero dilemmas ( But they're heroes. Why can't they save the people they love? ). These discussions, and the series of flashbacks they often elicit, ultimately lead readers to the truth surrounding Sunny's visit: back home in Pennsylvania, her teenage brother is struggling with substance abuse, and Sunny is convinced that she made the problem worsea misconception Gramps lovingly corrects. Matthew Holm's loose, less-is-more cartooning is easy to read and expressive, if occasionally unpolished. Straightforward dialogue, captions establishing time and setting, and extended wordless scenes swiftly propel the narrative and will be appreciated by Raina Telgemeier fans. An affirming author's note delves further into the Holm siblings' personal experience with familial substance abuse and encourages young readers sharing a similar struggle to reach out (as Sunny eventually does) to the responsible adults in their lives. patrick gall

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)