Unhappy that January is so dark and boring, fourth-grader Sunny hopes to invent a new holiday—a Kids Day halfway between Christmas and Valentine's Day—and to get the mayor to proclaim it. The main attraction in this optimistic tale is not the premise—which rather unbelievably seems about to happen by its end—but Sunny herself, a never-give-up kind of kid determined to "bloom like a dandelion," in her father's words. But her father is serving time. Living in an apartment on the wrong side of a blighted river, and attending a school that is "on probation," Sunny's life could seem pretty grim. Still, she and her hardworking mother count ten reasons to be grateful every night, her teacher thinks positively, and though Riverton is not the best of all possible worlds, it seems likely that Sunny and her family will, step-by-step, achieve their dreams. A first-person narrative, full of high hopes and sensible advice, this feel-good story slips down easily. (Fiction. 8-10)

Sunny Holiday's mother works and goes to night school and her father is in prison. In the spirit of staying positive, Sunny decides there should be more kid-friendly holidays during the year. While figuring out how to get "some jiggle for January," she also finds ways to help her inner-city community. Sunny's infectious personality will carry readers through to the high-spirited ending.

Gr 3-4 Fourth-grader Sunny is dealing with a lot in her young life. Her father is in prison, her school is in danger of being shut down, and she is trying to come up with new holidays so that every month has a fun day. Difficult situations are handled gently, but realistically. Sunny knows that her daddy went to jail because he made a mistake trying to take a shortcut to success. Her mother, who works as a maid and is taking college courses one at a time, emphasizes that success only comes from hard work. The mayor visits Riverview Towers, an "ugly cement-gray building" where Sunny lives, and she decides to tell him about her idea for January's holiday, Kid's Day. When she gets her chance to speak, she finds herself telling him about all the things he needs to do for her and her neighbors, like fixing the community pool, finishing the park he started, and cleaning up the river. While Sunny's life still isn't perfect, the novel has a happy ending. The text is not difficult and includes some fun images for abstract ideas, for example, negative comments are "butterfly squishers." Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY

In the gloomy days after winter break, Sunny, a fourth-grader who lives with her mother in a depressing inner-city apartment complex, decides that January needs some "jiggle." She suggests to her best friend and neighbor, Jazzy, that each month should have a kid-friendly holiday. Sunny's irrepressible spirit is tested when her mother, who cleans hotel rooms and takes evening classes, can't make it to her class for morning share time. Sunny also misses her father, who is in prison. When she hurries her mother to finish a book they are writing together in hopes of getting rich quickly, her mother cautions that "there is no shortcut to the big dreams in life." Told in Sunny's optimistic voice, the story successfully depicts the way she and her mother appreciate what life has to offer in spite of its hardships. The author of The Wedding Planner's Daughter series leads Sunny's story to a cheerful conclusion that will leave readers hoping for a sequel.