Sunny’s older brother is trouble. She doesn’t really know what kind of trouble, because he’s hardly ever around and nobody talks about it openly. But his outbursts and reckless behavior disrupt family gatherings and cause Sunny embarrassment and even fear. Her summer plans are abruptly changed when she gets sent to Florida to stay with her grandfather. That’s exciting- until she finds out that he lives hours away from Disney World, in a retirement community with almost no other kids around. Looks like it might all be boring- until she meets Buzz, who introduces her to comic books. Together they read comics and argue about the merits of different characters, search for lost balls on the golf course to earn spare change, look for the all the neighbor ladies’ lost cats (not allowed but everyone seems to have one anyway), and avoid an alligator in the water! By the end of summer, some things are looking up, and Sunny even finds the courage to talk to her grandfather about some things that make her uncomfortable- both his behavior (hiding cigarettes, when he’s supposed to have quit smoking) and the awfully squeaky hide-a-bed couch she’s been sleeping on. She also learns what was really going on with her brother, and forgives herself for some needlessly-placed self guilt. This book looks so casual on the outside, but it actually deals with some tough subjects. I think I liked it even better than the sequel (which I read out of order).
Borrowed from the public library.
