I read these a bit out of order. In this volume, Sunny’s home from her summer at Grandpa’s and facing the ups and downs of middle school. It’s quite an adjustment- and gets a little tougher when her best friend, who had lived next door for years, moves to another part of town. Even harder is getting used to her older brother’s absence- Dale has been sent away to a military boarding school, in hopes of correcting his bad behavior. At the beginning of the book the story seems pretty easygoing and casual: Sunny finding ways to while away boredom with her friend (while she’s still next door), listening to records, watching television, making little woven items for gifts (pot holders)- lots of seventies vibes again. There’s annoying things too, like when she has to mind her baby brother. She’s constantly missing Dale- noticing things that remind her of him, but nobody really talks about him. She’s very excited when they go to pick Dale up from school for winter holidays- but dismayed at his angry, resentful attitude- and his rejection of her gift. She gets a bit of consolation from her Grandfather, who reminds her that we can’t make people change, but support and love them while they work through difficulties. A new girl moves in next door- she’s in high school- and Sunny watches her practice twirling a flag for marching band. They chat some, and eventually the neighbor offers to teach Sunny to twirl the flag too, which takes her mind off things and gives her a sense of accomplishment. She finds ways to still do things with her friend who had moved away, and things gradually start to improve with her brother, too. Very quiet-on-the-surface kind of book, but touching and encouraging in the things it deals with.
Borrowed from the public library. Completed on 4/30/24.
