Student Saturday: Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

 

Student Reviewer - Sophia A

Genre:  Middle Grade, Graphic

In the book "Sunny Side Up", there are many characters, but the main character is Sunshine Lewin; but people call her Sunny. Her grandfather is Patrick Hearn, but Sunny calls him Gramps. Sunny has an older brother named Dale Lewin, and she also has a younger brother, Sunny is ten-years-old. Everything in this book takes place in Florida and Pennsylvania during 1975-1976.

This book is constantly changing the setting. For example, a couple of pages would take place in 1976. Then it would change back to 1975. I found this really confusing. The book starts off with Sunny going on a plane to Florida to stay with her grandfather over the summer. She's constantly getting flashbacks of moments and memories (mainly bad ones) with her older brother Dale. She doesn't seem to enjoy her time in Florida because there aren't any kids her age where her grandfather lives. She somehow ends up meeting a kid her age, and they have a lot of fun together. 

I can relate to how Sunny feels. I have two older sisters. One is twenty years old, and the other is fourteen. They both do really bad things, which causes them to be on bad terms with our mother. I haven't seen or heard from one of them in over two years. The other one never talks to me unless she wants something like money.  Overall, I love my sisters as much as Sunny loves her older brother Dale.

Student Saturday: Crush by Svetlana Chmakova

 

Student Reviewer - Sariah S.

Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel

If you are interested in a teen romance graphic novel, Crush by Svetlana Chmakova is a book that I would recommend. While this book is relating to teenage relationships the author makes good points relating to adults. "Strength is a resource. If you have a lot and someone doesn't, you gotta share yours." I can connect to this book  becausewhen I was younger I would always stand-out because I was tall and muscular. I always helped kids out with bullies even when I wasn't feeling my best. People could come and tell their problems to me and I would try and help them. The main character Jorge always helped everyone around him, but when it came to helping him no one had the time or energy to help him. 

I would recommend this book to any teenager who feels like they have to be the friend or person that gives pro-tips and helps everyone, but doesn't have anyone to help them. I would like them to know there are multiple people that go through this.

The Altruism Trial by Christopher Francis

 

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle School, Science Fiction

Source: Purchased

Riley Pickering is a young man who thinks of no one but himself. He behaves as if the world owes him everything and exists for him alone. What was funny about this is that I see kids like this in my classroom every year. Some leave middle school for high school the same way they entered school. They believe they are the most important person to exist and everyone else exists to do their bidding. In this book Riley receives a package with an unassembled plane. He makes his parents put it together. When the day comes to display their project he is called first. He steps into the plane and starts it up. He has read no instructions so he doesn't know how to fly it. The plane takes off and he crashes into an island. Here he meets two other kids who are just like him.  The story is all about change. But can Riley learn or be willing to learn important lessons to get off the island?  Like all of the other books this author has written, I loved this book. They are not only fun to read, but they are also full of life lessons.  I highly recommend all of his books.