Sunday, July 9, 2023

Make a Move, Sunny Park! by Jessica Kim - ADVISABLE

Make a Move, Sunny Park!
by Jessica Kim
. 352 pages. Kokila (Penguin). August 2023. $19. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (emotional abuse). 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Sunny and Bailey have been friends for years. They even took ballet classes together. But when Bailey tired of dancing, she made Sunny quit, too. Now, Bailey wants Sunny to try out for the 7th grade dance team with her (Bailey has an ulterior motive.) When Sunny makes the team, and Bailey does not, Sunny's mom convinces her to try the team for a week before she decides, and Sunny makes some new friends. They are different from Bailey - they are nice to her, and they also love Sunny's favorite K-Pop band, the Supreme Beats. 

There is a lot to love about Make a Move, Sunny Park. While Sunny has social anxiety, she doesn't use it as an excuse, and she has a therapist. I loved that there was a boy on the dance squad. I loved that the energy between Sunny and Bailey didn't just start with a huge fight - I loved that Sunny worked through both the dissolving relationship with Bailey as well as learning to balance having other friends as well - which didn't happen gracefully. I liked that her new friends were honest with her. This would work nicely in a book group. Sunny is Korean. 

Lisa Librarian 

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