The Holm siblings, Jennifer and Matthew, return to the 1970s with the third installment in their Sunny series, Sunny Rolls the Dice. While the first two deal with heavier topics (namely Sunny’s older brother’s addiction), this one offers a more lighthearted story.
Sunny is surviving middle school, but things are starting to change. Her best friend, Deb, wants to talk about boys and fashion while Sunny feels like the least groovy person in the world. Then, some new friends invite them to play Dungeons and Dragons and Sunny feels like she’s found her place. She’s more comfortable being Aleta the Brave, a fighter, than being boring Sunny Lewin.
As Sunny becomes more involved in Dungeons and Dragons, Deb starts to push her into more of her interests, namely Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, ear piercing, and who to dance with at the Spring Fling. Sunny has to make a decision: stay with Deb doing activities that Deb likes or be herself with her Dungeons and Dragons friends.
The cartoony, bright illustrations will draw juvenile readers in, while the relatable, fun story will keep them reading. The Holm siblings are no stranger to middle grade books or graphic novels (they created the super successful Babymouse series) and it shows. They know what appeals to middle grade readers, but are still authentic and real.
Middle grade readers will find a lot to like in the story of Sunny. Much like Roller Girl by Victoria Jamison or the Real Friends and Best Friends books by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham, this is a story of a young girl finding her place in middle school by being true to herself.
Sunny Rolls the Dice
By Jennifer L. Holm
Art by Matthew Holm
ISBN: 9781338233148
Scholastic Graphix, 2019
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
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