- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Contemporary
Sunny Side Up
Book 1 of 6 in SunnyView the full series
A warm, emotionally honest middle-grade graphic novel about family secrets, summer in Florida and a girl realising why she has been sent away. It is funny and accessible, but with a more serious family-substance-use thread beneath the sunshine.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length224 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Bittersweet
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Sunny Lewin thinks she is going to Florida for a fun summer holiday with her grandfather. But Gramps lives in a retirement community, not anywhere near Disney World, and Sunny is surrounded by old people, alligators, cats and a lot more quiet than she expected. Luckily she meets Buzz, a comic-book-loving boy who helps her find adventure in unlikely places. Slowly, though, the real reason Sunny has been sent away begins to surface: things at home with her older brother Dale have become difficult and frightening. This first Sunny graphic novel balances humour, 1970s nostalgia and gentle adventure with a serious emotional core about family stress, secrecy and addiction. The visual format makes the story highly approachable, but the book has more depth than its bright cover might suggest. It is a strong recommendation for readers who like Raina Telgemeier-style realistic graphic novels with heart.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: substance references, mental health.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Realistic graphic novel
- Raina telgemeier next
- Family issues
- 1970s setting
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Needs light comedy only
- Sensitive to family addiction
- Wants fantasy adventure
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Anxiety and worry
- Struggling with reading
- Illness in family
- Single parent family
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A warm graphic-novel series about growing up — a reluctant-reader favourite that opens talk about family and change.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the family secret — Sunny sent to her grandfather in Florida thinking it's a holiday, slowly working out the real reason has to do with her older brother. The Telgemeier-style graphic novel that handles family addiction with extraordinary restraint.
- Friendship and belonging
- Family belonging
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The Jennifer Holm Sunny opener — 1970s Florida, Grandpa's retirement community, a sibling's substance use revealed slowly. Handles addiction with restraint and warmth most middle-grade books can't manage. Strong for older middle-grade readers.
- Nostalgia
- Conversation starter
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Sunny.
6 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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