Sunny Side Up: A Graphic Novel (Sunny #1) - Softcover

Holm, Jennifer L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0545741661 ISBN 13: 9780545741668

Publisher: Graphix, 2015

Synopsis

Sunny Lewin has been packed off to Florida to live with her grandfather for the summer.  At first she thought Florida might be fun -- it is  the home of Disney World, after all.  But the place where Gramps lives is no amusement park.  It’s full of . . . old people.  Really old people.
 
Luckily, Sunny isn’t the only kid around.  She meets Buzz, a boy who is completely obsessed with comic books, and soon they’re having adventures of their own: facing off against golfball-eating alligators, runaway cats, and mysteriously disappearing neighbors.  But the question remains -- why is Sunny down in Florida in the first place?  The answer lies in a family secret that won’t be secret to Sunny much longer. . .
 

About this title

About the Author:

Jennifer L. Holm is the New York Times bestselling and three-time Newbery Honor Winning author of multiple novels for young readers. With her brother Matthew, Jennifer created the graphic novel series Babymouse and Squish. She lives in California.

Matthew Holm was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has been drawing comics since he was in middle school. With his sister, Jennifer, Matthew created the graphic novel series Babymouse and Squish. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

From School Library Journal:

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

About this edition

• Publisher: Graphix
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0545741661
• ISBN 13: 9780545741668
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224
• Illustrator: Holm Matthew