Graphic Novel Review: Click & Camp

Series: Click
Author: Kayla Miller
Titles: Click, Camp, Act
Genre: Middlegrade Realistic Fiction graphic novels
Released: 2019, 2019, 2020
Pages: 192, 224, ?
Ratings: 3.5 stars, 4 stars, TBR

Synopsis: This is about an 11 year old girl, named Olive. In Click, she struggles through middle school and making true friends, finding out where she fits in, and being herself. In Camp, she and a friend go to camp together, and both meet a lot of new friends, and find themselves dealing in different ways to the same situations.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the 2 books published so far! This is another middle grade graphic novel series that is great for young girls to read. They deal with real life situations, with good resolutions. The girls in these books learn to be themselves and find where they fit in, and gives wholesome stories. I actually bought these 2 books for my younger daughters who are 9 and 10, and they loved them too! We are all looking forward to Act when it comes out, hopefully later this year!

Series Review: Sunny Graphic Novels

Series: Sunny
Author: Jennifer L. Holm
Titles: Sunny Side Up, Swing It Sunny, Sunny Rolls the Dice
Genre: Middlegrade Historical Fiction graphic novels
Released: 2015, 2017, 2019
Pages: 224, 224, 226
My Overall Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: This is about a young girl named Sunshine, nickname Sunny, who grows up in the 70s in Pennsylvania. She just goes through life trying to see the sunny side of everything, but not always accomplishing it. Big things are happening around her, which affects her and disposition, but in the end, she always comes back around to her sunny side.

My Thoughts: This is one graphic novel series that I actually enjoy!! I am not big into graphic novels, but I hope there will be more to see from Sunny. I love her. These are sweet stories about a sweet girl, who has to learn to navigate the cloudy world around her. We learn about Sunny initially during a rough time for her family. Her idolized older brother is getting into trouble, and she doesn’t understand, or how to deal with it. The second book is my least favorite, it was fine, but felt more of a connector/filler book between the first and the third. We start to see how Sunny is becoming her own person, but still wanting to follow her best friend. In the last book, this is intensified. She really starts to see how she has changed, and how the interests of her friends she always has had are different now, and how she now has interests similar to some new friends. She tries to balance it all, but ultimately she learns she needs to be who she is. I loved this last book! I reread the first 2 books to refresh, and I’d been waiting for this one to release. I think the series overall is so cute, and sends a great message for kids.

Book Review: Swing It, Sunny

Title: Swing It, Sunny
Author: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Book in Series: 2 of 3
Genre: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction Graphic Novel
Released in: 2017
Pages: 224
My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: The next school year, after the summer visiting her grandfather, Sunny finds out why she was sent to stay with him. Her brother Dale is now sent away, too, to a special school, and he’s not happy about it. He shows it, by not being happy about anything else, either, including Sunny. Sunny feels pretty lonely, but a new family moves in next door, and between new and old friends, she still is able to have some fun.

My Thoughts: I didn’t like this one quite as much as the first, but it’s still good. It has a little bit of a weird time jump, back and forth, from past and present, that makes it a little bit hard to follow (and it’s a little hard to look back to make sure you know where you are, when reading this as an ebook). I liked that the girl next door, despite being older, still engages and befriends Sunny. This story brings back memories of my time in school, as well.

Book Review: Sunny Side Up

Title: Sunny Side Up
Author: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Book in Series: 1 of 3
Genre: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction Graphic Novel
Released in: 2015
Pages: 224
My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: Sunny is sent to stay the summer with her Grandfather, who lives in an old age retirement community. So everyone around her is old…really old. There is only one other kid, the son of one of the groundskeepers, so he and Sunny make the most of their situation, and find their own fun making money finding cats, and buying comic books. Even still, the reason she is here in the first place bothers Sunny, and worries about why her parents sent her away.

My Thoughts: This is so cute. This is a reread for me, this time having found it, and the sequel, on Overdrive. Super fast, fun, cute…tough topics, but not too “in the face” for kids.