Sunny Books In Order

Publication Order of Sunny Books

Sunny (Series by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm)
Author Jennifer L. Holm writes the “Sunny” series of graphic novels which are illustrated by Matthew Holm. The series began publication in the year 2015, when “Sunny Side Up” was released.

This is a comic board book series about feelings. Sister-brother duo Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm use speech balloons, panel frames, and thought bubbles to teach kids how to read a story. The books are a funny, sweet, and simple introduction to the impact that emotions can have on the people around you.

It follows the lives of kids whose older brother’s delinquent behavior has thrown their family into chaos, and “Sunny Side Up” is a compelling “problem” tale and is a love letter to the comic books which helped the protagonist make sense of her world.

The series is set during the seventies, and features certain things from the period: Polaroid SX-70 ‘instant’ camera, TAB cola, and Dorothy Hamill’s ‘wedge’ hairstyle. The books are middle grade, semi-autobiographical graphic novels. They are set in the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania, when Sunny Lewin (age ten) is not down in Florida visiting her grandpa for the summer.

“Sunny Side Up” is the first novel in the “Sunny” series and was released in the year 2015. When is summer vacation not actually a summer vacation?

Sunny Lewin is being sent off to Florida to stay with her grandpa for the entire summer. At first she thought that Florida might be a fun place, as it is the home of Disney World, after all. However the place that her Gramps lives ain’t no amusement park. It is filled with old people. Extremely old people.

Sunny is not the only kid around, however, since she meets a boy that is fully obsessed with comic books, named Buzz, and pretty quick they are having adventures of their own. Facing off against mysteriously vanishing neighbors, golf ball eating alligators, and runaway cats.

The question still remains though, why is Sunny down in Florida to begin with? The answer lies in the family secret that is not going to be a secret for too much longer.

Readers found this to be an incredibly cute story with more serious undertones to it, as it alternates between bittersweet and amusing. It is sure to delight readers that enjoy coming-of-age stories about the dangers of having too many secrets. Sunny is a relatable character, and the book shows addiction to be something that should not be hidden and encourages younger readers to get help if they know somebody that suffers from it.

“Swing it, Sunny” is the second novel in the “Sunny” series and was released in the year 2017. Summer has ended and the time has come for Sunny Lewin to enter the unfriendly and odd hallways that make up middle school. When her Gramps phones her from Florida to ask how she is doing, she always tells him that she is doing fine. The truth, however is that she’s not exactly having the best time.

Not only is the entire middle school deal confusing to her, however life at home is rather confusing as well. Sunny is missing Dale, her brother, who has been sent off to boarding school. However even when she comes back, she STILL misses him, since he has changed.

Luckily she has her best friend and a mysterious new neighbor on her side, because she is NOT going to allow all of this confusion get her down. Instead, she is going to keep Sunny-side up!

Fans of the book like Jennifer’s take on life and school, and she is light yet still deals with some real issues. Readers enjoyed the additional references to the seventies, the art style, and the family dynamic that Sunny must make sense of and be a part of.

“Sunny Rolls the Dice” is the third novel in the “Sunny” series and was released in the year 2019. Too cool for school, or the least groovy girl in the grade?

Sunny has just made it to middle school, and it has made her life quite confusing. All Deb, her best friend, wants to talk about is makeup, boys, fashion, boys, and being cool. Now, Sunny is not opposed to any of these items, however she does not sure why everything suddenly revolves around them.

She is far more comfortable when she is playing Dungeons & Dragons with a bunch of her new friends in her basement. When you are slaying spiders and sword fighting, it is tough to worry about whether you always look cool or not. Particularly when it is your turn to roll the 20-sided die. Trying hard to be cool is one sure way to make you feel incredibly uncool.

This book is charming and funny, and features the rich and colorful artwork with scenes that get to the point quickly. Jennifer does a fantastic job of capturing just how much middle school hurts, no matter what time period you are talking about.

“Sunny Makes a Splash” is the fourth novel in the “Sunny” series and was released in the year 2021. Sunny is coming into a sink-or-swim summer, where she must float her first job and dive right into her first possible flirtation.

Summer is here, and Sunny’s BORED. The majority of her friends have gone out of town. Her mom wants her to babysit much more than Sunny does. And there is nothing good on television.

Only place that is cool, in a non-boring sense, and cool, in a non-hot sense, is the community pool. Sunny loves being there, and loves it that much more when she is offered a job at the snack shack. Before long, she is flinging fries and serving soft ice cream like a pro, with the help of a very sweet boy that works with her.

Sunny’s mom ain’t sure Sunny should be this independent. However Sunny certainly is sure: life is best when it is free swim.

This is a much lighter read than the previous books, with a fun summer vibe to it and bringing back many memories of lounging around the pool for older readers.