Sunny Makes Her Case

Holm, Jennifer L. and Holm, Matthew. Sunny Makes Her Case (Sunny #5)
February 6, 2024 by Graphix

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

After her amazing summer at the pool in Sunny Makes a Splash, Sunny is back at school. She thinks that it's perfectly reasonable to do nothing but watch The After School Special after school in her wood paneled family room, but her mother thinks she should do something else. Her friend tries out for the cheerleading squad, but since Sunny really had no knowledge of what cheer takes, she doesn't make the squad, while her friend does. She keeps running into Tony (from the pool) at school, and he's clearly interested in her, but they never get too talk very much, since she is always running late to class. Her friend Arun isn't a huge fan of sports, and he and Sunny decide to start a debate team. It's hard to find a faculty sponsor at first, but they eventually recruit a science teacher, who does a great job helping them practice. It doesn't come quite as naturally to Sunny, but she tries hard. She and Arun actually do really well, and when people at school actually notice that the school HAS a debate team, they also have Jason join. Things are fairly calm at Sunny's house; she does talk to her brother (who is stationed abroad) on the phone, and hangs out a little with her grandfather, but we don't see as much of her family. She does go shopping with her mother in order to obtain the perfect outfit for the debate: a powder blue power suit, complete with vest and a bow blouse! Because that's what girls wore in the 1970s! My power suit was rust corduroy! Sunny and her team continue to do well, and she manages to finally connect with Tony. Sigh.

I'm sorry. These books are just so evocative of my own middle school experience that I just can't review them critically! While Ms. Holm is three years younger than I am, she has made Sunny just my age. Do I even need to mention that I was on the speech team in high school?

Strengths: In addition to being a fantastic look at a particular period in history (something which the pictures in graphic novels support nicely), this is a universal story about the constant pull between academics and athletics in schools. I love that Sunny is interested in pursuing debate even though she isn't entirely sure she's good at it, and even though she knows most people in her school don't care. It is not at all surprising that Sunny tries out to be a cheerleader even though she didn't really want to-- even I went to the cheer clinics at the end of 6th grade. There was powerful social pressure in the 1970s to be a cheerleader, and most girls didn't have the background in gymnastics that they do today. I loved the search for the advisor, and the fact that the book is dedicated to two of Holm's teachers. This is a popular series in my library, so I will buy two copies. 
Weaknesses: I would like to see more involvement of Sunny's family, and am voting that the next book be a road trip in a station wagon that includes the grandfather!
What I really think: This is a great examples of writing what you know and LOVE. The inclusion of a picture of Holm and the friend who was in debate with her was fun to see. Pair this with Copeland's Cub for a good look at an underrepresented era in middle grade literature.