Sunny Parker Is Here to Stay

March 1, 2024
A rising middle schooler fights for more affordable housing in her wealthy town. Sunny Parker, a white 11-year-old, has no plans for the summer other than helping her widowed dad, who works as the manager of Del Mar Garden Apartments, the affordable housing complex where they live. On a walk through the wealthy neighborhood surrounding Del Mar, Sunny and Mrs. Garcia, her neighbor and mom figure, see that the site of a nearby closed elementary school is being considered for building more affordable housing. Mrs. Garcia, who says that "money breeds mean," doesn't think the mostly high-income townsfolk will support the measure; when she's proven right, Sunny and her best friend, Haley, who's Black, embark on a campaign to change hearts and minds, even though Sunny's own father disapproves of their activism. The ethnically diverse Del Mar residents, including a young Ukrainian single mom who's being abused by her boyfriend, are well drawn, but the rich people are mostly presented without nuance as being against the "lowlifes" whom they believe an affordable housing complex would bring. Finnegan doesn't explain the concept of affordable housing in a way that feels clear enough for middle-grade readers to understand, although they will grasp that Sunny and her neighbors are being denigrated. Sunny's dad is enigmatic; the emotional ending involving him, while well written, seems to come out of nowhere. Well intended but lacking in execution. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2024
Grades 4-7 Sunny, a rising sixth-grader, and her best friend, Haley, live in a low-income housing complex comprised of quirky and caring residents. When more affluent neighbors oppose converting an abandoned middle school into affordable housing, Sunny and Haley take on the city council to make them change their minds. Sunny tells her dad, the apartment complex's manager and handyman, "I always thought the Del Mar was one of the best places in the world to live. But if they don't want affordable housing, then they don't want me." Sunny disobeys her dad's advice to not get involved in others' lives by bravely helping a neighbor who's being physically abused. There are plenty of humorous situations in the book, too, including a neighbor who curses kids so they become unable to speak, a bad haircut, a shrimp incident in a pool, and a babysitting disaster. The book uses its diverse cast to sensitively address poverty, community, racism, and autism. Sunny is a spunky young girl who finds the courage to stand up for what she believes in.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2024
Eleven-year-old Sunny Parker lives with her father, the manager and handyman of Del Mar Garden Apartments, an affordable housing complex. She had anticipated that the summer before middle school would be boring but is propelled into activism when she realizes that protests against a new housing project oppose the people in her own community. Despite her father's desire that she stay out of things, Sunny starts a petition in support of the new housing project with best friend and neighbor, Haley. Through her interactions with those from various economic backgrounds and with an array of family structures, and abilities, Sunny's understanding of the world around her expands, and she finds the courage to stand up for others. A conversation with Haley, who is Black, helps Sunny recognize her white privilege, although the girls share similar circumstances: "I didn't feel like anyone's past was determining my future. I may have lost my mom, but I still blended in around town, even with my used clothes." Though the story thoughtfully tackles serious topics such as domestic violence and structural racism, Sunny's hopeful perspective and commitment to community care enhance the swiftly paced narrative. Ultimately, Sunny's journey is a celebration of the power of empathy, intergenerational friendships, and collective action -- potentially inspiring readers to create positive change. Kristine Techavanich

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2024
Eleven-year-old Sunny Parker lives with her father, the manager and handyman of Del Mar Garden Apartments, an affordable housing complex. She had anticipated that the summer before middle school would be boring but is propelled into activism when she realizes that protests against a new housing project oppose the people in her own community. Despite her father's desire that she stay out of things, Sunny starts a petition in support of the new housing project with best friend and neighbor, Haley. Through her interactions with those from various economic backgrounds and with an array of family structures, and abilities, Sunny's understanding of the world around her expands, and she finds the courage to stand up for others. A conversation with Haley, who is Black, helps Sunny recognize her white privilege, although the girls share similar circumstances: "I didn't feel like anyone's past was determining my future. I may have lost my mom, but I still blended in around town, even with my used clothes." Though the story thoughtfully tackles serious topics such as domestic violence and structural racism, Sunny's hopeful perspective and commitment to community care enhance the swiftly paced narrative. Ultimately, Sunny's journey is a celebration of the power of empathy, intergenerational friendships, and collective action -- potentially inspiring readers to create positive change.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)