Well, it is raining, raining, raining here, and when that happens I can’t help but think of my good fortune in having a warm home to keep me safe and dry. I hope you can say the same. For me February means birthday fun, and I will be celebrating with hot fudge sundaes and my husband’s delicious arroz con pollo.
I will also be celebrating because I recently learned the Sunday Parker is Here to Stay (coming April 23 from Atheneum Books for Young Readers) was chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. That means it will get a beautiful gold sticker smack on the front. It is honor that I appreciate greatly, and I thank the Junior Library Guild for this recognition.
Actually, I humbly share that all my books are Junior Library Guild Selection, but only Sunny has earned the beautiful Gold Sticker.
Sunny is about a girl who I have a few things in common with. Sunny lives in affordable housing. That means that the government helps pay her rent. Her town, however, is kind of wealthy, and that makes her circumstances unique. I lived in a similar situation when I was a kid. I lived with my sister and mom in affordable housing in a town that was becoming more and more prosperous with each passing year. Sunny learns something that I also had to learn. It can feel weird and embarrassing to live among people who have more money than you, but money isn’t worth, and Sunny and her community are no less worthy of decent housing than anyone else.
I hope you’ll read Sunny! If you do, be sure to tell me what you think.