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Ways to Make Sunshine

(Ryan Hart #1)

Renée Watson,

Nina Mata (Illustrator)

4.08 · Rating details · 1,858 ratings · 451 reviews

Ryan Hart loves to spend time with her friends, loves to invent recipes, and has a lot on her mind—school, self-image, and family. Her dad finally has a new job, but money is tight. That means changes like selling their second car and moving into a new (old) house. But Ryan is a girl who knows how to make sunshine out of setbacks. Because Ryan is all about trying to see th ...more

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Hardcover, 177 pages

Published April 28th 2020 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

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· 1,858 ratings · 451 reviews

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Aug 31, 2020 Elena rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

quick, cute, lighthearted, and realistic, ways to make sunshine is a step forward for little black girls with dreams of changing the world someday.

so many of the scenes between ryan and her brother, ray, reminded me of my brother when i was younger. being the smaller sister of 2 years, i would always follow him around, want to be where he was at, hang out with him and his friends, beat him at games and races, and basically annoy him. the siblings relationship made me nostalgic and think of our c quick, cute, lighthearted, and realistic, ways to make sunshine is a step forward for little black girls with dreams of changing the world someday.

so many of the scenes between ryan and her brother, ray, reminded me of my brother when i was younger. being the smaller sister of 2 years, i would always follow him around, want to be where he was at, hang out with him and his friends, beat him at games and races, and basically annoy him. the siblings relationship made me nostalgic and think of our childhood. having a sibling is annoying but it's also so beautiful.

the portrayal of family love was also so delightful, and the way ryan wanted to do her best to bring sunshine to her new house was fun to read about. she was so loving, caring, spirited, and driven. her ability to continue striving forward without looking back can be so inspiring for many people, but especially black little girls like her.

although the book is a fun and light read, the book doesn't shy away from what little black girls like ryan deal with. she was made fun of her hair when it got wet and how big it got, showing it as it is, a natural dark and curly afro. she wanted to prove herself to her brother and other girls that she was capable of doing so much more. she wanted to do the best for herself and her family. it was beautiful to read about her grandma telling her how beautiful she is and how beautiful her dark hair is, but it was saddening to read about ryan disagreeing and preferring to have it straightened, taking care of it and making sure it didn't get wet.

ryan is such an inspiration. the little girl in me wishes she had the ambition, strength, courage, and determination ryan had. she dreams and wants to make those dreams reality, and it was so fun seeing how her character developed little by little as the little girl she is. she had talent and passion for cooking, and imagining what type of cook or chef she would be in the future was easy to do so.

i hope this book can be a step forward for many girls like ryan - girls who struggle looking at their hair and who want to adapt to white and european beauty standards; girls who want to show the world that they are capable of conquering their dreams; girls who will do anything it takes to bring sunshine to their life and let people know that their ancestors, kings and queen that they were, did not go through constant battles for them to merely give up. ...more

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Apr 25, 2020 Toni rated it really liked it

Shelves: children-2020, edelweiss2020

Such a lovely book with a wonderful protagonist! Ryan Hart is a great friend, loyal and supportive. Her father's post-office got closed and he lost his job. Now he works nights and is often tired. There is also less money, no second car, and the whole family moves into a different, smaller house. It isn't easy to cope with these changes. Luckily, Ryan has her family to remind her that her biggest talent isn't cooking, although she is pretty good at inventing new dishes, her biggest talent is bei ...more

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Feb 23, 2020 Betsy rated it really liked it

Shelves: lower-income, diverse, multicultural-fiction, african-american-characters, middle-grade-realistic-fiction, realistic-fiction

I am the Lou Grant of children’s literary reviewers. I hate spunk. That’s kind of a blanket statement for what often turns out to be a fairly nuanced issue, so I’ll scale it back a bit. I hate unearned spunk. Children’s books are just rife with the stuff, overflowing with cheery aphorisms and chipper jolts of self-esteem. Spunk, as far as I can tell, is nine times out of ten just a more upbeat form of didacticism, often considered preferable to boring browbeating fare. But there are exceptions t I am the Lou Grant of children’s literary reviewers. I hate spunk. That’s kind of a blanket statement for what often turns out to be a fairly nuanced issue, so I’ll scale it back a bit. I hate unearned spunk. Children’s books are just rife with the stuff, overflowing with cheery aphorisms and chipper jolts of self-esteem. Spunk, as far as I can tell, is nine times out of ten just a more upbeat form of didacticism, often considered preferable to boring browbeating fare. But there are exceptions to every rule and for every nine intolerable doyennes of drivel there’s a tenth book where the character is more than a one-note cheerleader. Renée Watson is one of those authors I read and I read and I read, and then wait on. I like her books. I enjoyed Some Places More Than Others. Her picture book Harlem’s Little Blackbird remains memorable to this day. But the book of hers that I think I can unequivocally say I like the most now is Ways to Make Sunshine. With a title like that, one fears that the book will be doomed to find itself lumped in with innocuously cheery, forgettable fare. We get peppy little novels for younger readers all the time. They run together in your mind like rivulets down a windowpane. Thank goodness for this book then. Sharp and smart. Kind and caustic. Occasionally acidic, but in a nice way, it’s the kind of book that wakes up dreamy readers and forces the darned kids to think a little. Precisely what we would have all been waiting for, had we but known to want it.

Ice cream before dinner is not something to celebrate. Indeed, it’s an obvious ploy on the part of Ryan’s parents, and she doesn’t trust it. Nor should she, because the next thing she knows she and her family have moved out of their beloved home into a much smaller rental. Add in an annoying older brother, talent show anxiety, church anxiety, and what exactly is going on with Grand Floral Parade getting cancelled on account of rain? Ryan tries to be a good kid, but sometimes it’s tricky to be yourself and someone who knows what the right thing to do is in any situation. Fortunately, the name Ryan means “king” and she aims to live up to it, one way or another.

So the big marketing takeaway with this book is that it’s sort of a Ramona reaction title. The Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary are all set in Portland, Oregon (and, indeed, you can visit statues of them there if you’ve a notion). They are also pretty dang white. Renée Watson, who is black, grew up in Portland and decided to give us a different version of the town with her own lovingly flawed little female personage. Like Ramona, this book skews younger than some middle grade fare. You’d probably be more inclined to read it or hand it to kids between the ages of 6-10 rather than 9-12. Unlike Ramona, race is mentioned periodically. Lake Oswego is “too far and too white” (true). Ryan’s friends are mixed race or black. Ryan’s hair is this complicated staging ground that says a lot more than some kids are going to pick up on. Ryan is no Ramona, but that’s only because she has a personality entirely of her own. She’s mean to her brother and imaginative and horribly disappointed in her family’s fallen fortunes and often quite sweet. She’s a complicated personality. The kind of person you wish you saw more of in books for kids of this age.

I particularly liked that the book didn’t always swerve in the direction you expected it to go. For example, in the chapter “What Easter Means to Me” Ryan is going to have to get in front of a mic in church and give a speech that she has memorized. From the set-up, you figure you know what to expect. She’s messed up in the past but she’ll get up there scared, screw up her speech, and then give one even better that’s from the heart. Typical. Only, of course, that’s not the way it plays out. Instead, she drops the mic, forgets everything, never gets to justify her hard work (at least not in that moment), and gets out of there quick as a wink. Extra points for including the sentence, “I wonder why Jesus’s love for us has to be celebrated by torturing children to memorize poems.” The chapter “Water” is one of those moments in childhood where you go to a sleepover where you only know the host, and that’s a familiar set-up. What happens in the pool, however, has never been done in a book for kids before. And then there’s Ryan’s relationship with her brother, which is spiky, and angry, and malicious, and tender all at once. She’s the kind of kid who will prank her brother for being mean, then be sent to her room where she laughs herself to sleep. All this and not a brat. No mean feat.

We all have our gifts. Watson’s are multitude but the ones that interest me the most are geographical. I read a Renée Watson book and I know where I am. Granted, I have the privilege of having lived in two of the places that Watson knows well (Portland, Oregon and Harlem, New York), which means I assess with a gimlet eye the accuracy of these locations’ portrayals. Take the previously mentioned Some Places More Than Others. One section of that book involved the main character walking the streets of Harlem, assessing the landscape, tallying the landmarks, and making her way back to home base. Every single step of that journey felt accurate. New York City is the kind of place where out-of-towners fudge the details, but Watson keeps things realistic. Now I haven’t lived in Portland for an awful long time, so when it came to the neighborhoods portrayed in this book I can’t give you a yea or nay on their veracity. What I can tell instead is that the devil is in the details and the details of this book are devilishly clever. I’d forgotten that the place I always took cans to be recycled was the Safeway, and I got my food at the Fred Meyer grocery chain. Or that town’s obsession with all things berry. Or the wonderful wonderful outdoor art market on Saturdays. When I read a Ramona book I take it on blind faith that I’m in Portland. When I read this book, I’m there.

Now I started this whole review saying I don’t care for “spunk” and I stand by that statement. To be honest, though, spunk comes in different flavors. Renée Watson took it upon herself to include a jolt of it in her first chapter, but she also makes Ryan this realistic kid with a temper and a spine, so that when she spouts lines like “Maybe he doesn’t realize I can do and be anything” it goes down sweet, not sour. An author that can write a book for younger kids that mixed together those tricky elements of humor, raw reality, hope, and fear is someone you watch with interest. Above all, Watson’s a writer that respects the child audience. She’s keeps her readers awake and alert, making sure her heroine is interesting from page to page. Recently I’ve been looking at old reviews of books I read more than a decade ago and so many of them I’ve forgotten. But this book? I’m never gonna forget Ryan. She’s the friend you don’t always get along with. The one who’s never dull. The one that always has something going on in that head of hers, even when she’s dead silent. The one your kids are going to return to again and again. And so will you.

For ages 6-10.
...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Reading_ Tam_ Ishly rated it really liked it

This is the story of a girl called Ryan (who's been teased for her name even by her teachers and everyone alike). This is the story of Ryan who's the one everyone expects to understand and do things what girls are supposed to do.

She has lots to say and have a mind of her own amidst the ones who doesn't care to listen and want to listen maybe because she's just a little girl.

I love the writing. It's hard-hitting at times. It's just perfect for beginners and to be read out loud.

The story also rev ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell rated it really liked it

Shelves: les-arcs-de-triomphes, poc-interracial, ya-ya-land

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I don't normally read middle grade novels but I've fallen in love with Renee Watson's writing and want to support her in whatever she writes. WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE is about a young girl named Ryan. The blurb on the back says it's like if you were reading a book about Ramona Quimby, only black-- but Ramona was always annoying and kind of bratty, in my opinion. Ryan is such a strong, sweet girl who loves her family and is constantly pushin ...more

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Jul 19, 2020 nat added it

Shelves: arc, 2020, reviewed

Ways to Make Sunshine, in short, is such a heartwarming middle grade story full of Black joy. It follows nine-year-old Ryan Hart in her day to day life, and while this book doesn't necessarily have an actual 'plot'—it's very slice-of-life—I enjoyed every bit of it! It made me smile so much and reading it was such a breeze.

Grandma turns me around to face her. "Baby girl, you are beautiful. No matter if your hair is straight or not. How you wear your hair is your choice and no matter what you choo

...more

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May 20, 2020 Camryn added it

This was really cute and really took me back to being little. I loved seeing a Black little girl in this position.

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Feb 15, 2021 Josiah rated it it was ok

If Renée Watson's YA novels are a bit too serious for you, try her series about Ryan Hart, which began in 2020 with Ways to Make Sunshine. A fourth-grader at Vernon Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, Ryan has a nice life. She and her older brother Ray get along well most of the time. Their parents work hard but are happy, though Dad recently lost his job at the post office, so finances are tighter than they once were. That's the subject at hand when Ryan and Ray arrive home from school one a If Renée Watson's YA novels are a bit too serious for you, try her series about Ryan Hart, which began in 2020 with Ways to Make Sunshine. A fourth-grader at Vernon Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, Ryan has a nice life. She and her older brother Ray get along well most of the time. Their parents work hard but are happy, though Dad recently lost his job at the post office, so finances are tighter than they once were. That's the subject at hand when Ryan and Ray arrive home from school one afternoon to find their parents dishing up ice cream for the four of them. Dessert before supper is a sure sign something is wrong, but Ryan still feels stunned when Mom and Dad announce the family will be moving to a smaller house and selling their second car. Dad's new job pays less than his post office gig, but things will be fine as long as the Harts stick to a modest budget for now. It won't be forever.

Ryan's life over the next year unfolds in a parade of episodes that reveal her heart and that of her family and friends. The Harts take a car ride together beside the Columbia River, their last before Dad sells the Toyota. They aren't moving far from their old house; in fact, now they're closer to the school, so Ryan and Ray will walk there each morning with Ryan's friend KiKi. The new house is dingy and worn, a definite downgrade, but Ryan tries to project a positive attitude. She finds an old cookie tin in her bedroom closet containing a few items belonging to an anonymous someone, and Ryan wonders whose they might be. Were they left here intentionally for her to find? Has the owner passed away, and is now haunting the house as a ghost? Ray seems to think it's possible. Ryan has loved baking and creating her own recipes since before she was old enough to operate a stove, and settling into the new kitchen helps the house feel like home. Whether she's whipping up a sumptuous carrot cake or a "Blackberry-Lime Extravaganza" smoothie, Ryan's culinary skill is one way to make sunshine when she's tempted to feel gloomy.

Spring is a welcome change after the long winter. For the Harts, Easter means family, candy, and church activities, but Ryan is nervous to stand up in church and give her short memorized speech. What if she botches it like every year before? Well, she'll have the reassurance of her family to fall back on like a net woven from soft silk, and hours of fun with extended family after church. Who can stay upset when your new house is full of laughter, excitement, fine food, and an Easter egg hunt with a prize for the winner? Ryan loves this holiday for more reasons than she can name. Shortly after Easter, Ryan attends a party at her longtime friend Amanda's house. They don't see each other often these days, so Ryan is excited, but Mrs. Hart makes Ryan promise not to swim in the pool. Ryan's grandmother went to a lot of trouble heating and combing the kinks out of her hair for Easter, and her mother wants it to stay that way a little longer. Of course, surrounded by kids at the party, including a girl named Red who isn't shy about claiming to be Amanda's new best friend, Ryan yields to temptation. What will her mother think when Ryan comes home with her hair poofy and unmanageable again? The moment offers to teach something about the human impulse to constantly strive for the approval of others.

Every year, Vernon Elementary puts on its Fourth-Grade Talent Showcase. Ryan yearns to perform for an adoring crowd, but her talent is cooking. How can she do that onstage? She wishes she were a gifted vocalist like Hannah Wilkerson, whose powerful notes flow free and who doesn't seem self-conscious at all. KiKi thinks Hannah is conceited, but Ryan is reluctant to agree. On some weekends, Amanda accompanies Ryan to the Saturday Market, where Mrs. Hart has a booth selling the clothing items she knits. This may turn out to be where Ryan finds an answer to the mystery of the cookie tin in her bedroom closet. We take a brief detour from the main story to Alberta Park, where one day Ryan and KiKi accompany Ray and his friends Logan and Aiden on their bikes. Ryan isn't a bad athlete; she's capable of winning a bike race against older kids, but she'd better watch out for that beehive in a bush! A few days later when Ray goes to the park but won't let Ryan come, she gets revenge by putting hot sauce in his chicken wings. Her parents are mad, but Ryan finds it hilarious, and Ray later admits it was a clever prank. By now the new house feels like home, but Ryan is still unsure what to do for the Fourth-Grade Talent Showcase. It's her chance to make up for the faux pas in her Easter speech at church, to prove she can be poised and articulate as any kid her age. Just as all seems to be going Ryan's way, however, her parents have another major announcement. Will she figure out how to make the most of this change in plans, as she did when the Harts moved to a smaller house?

The episodic nature of Ways to Make Sunshine reminds me of books by E.B. White, Eleanor Estes, and George Selden, as well as Jason Reynolds's Look Both Ways, but I see why the jacket copy describes Ryan Hart as Renée Watson's "own version of Ramona Quimby". I don't love this book like Ramona the Pest or Ramona Quimby, Age 8, but Ways to Make Sunshine is every bit as good as some entries in the Ramona series. I appreciate the importance that Ryan's parents attached to her name and to Ray's: his means "protector" and hers means "king", suggesting she should endeavor to be a good leader and role model. "Be who we named you to be," their dad tells them when they stray from the ideal. For Ryan that means choosing optimism, remembering it isn't the size of their house or ability to buy name food brands that makes the Harts a family. Love, respect, and support will carry them through this financial squeeze and worse. I rate Ways to Make Sunshine two and a half stars, and if you need a literary boost for your mood, this isn't a bad place to look. I would happily read about Ryan again. ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Cassie Thomas rated it really liked it

The whole time I was reading I kept thinking this was written to be the next great series that kids can relate to, and then I read that it’s Renee’s version of Ramona Quimby series and I couldn’t be more excited. It ended where I have so many questions, but I know that Ryan’a stories are just beginning.

There were so many amazing themes intertwined, the most of all being to love who you were born to be.

My favorite quote from the ARC: “How you wear your hair is your choice and no matter what you ...more

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Jul 05, 2020 Susan rated it really liked it

Shelves: grades-3-4, grades-4-5, ownvoices, realistic-fiction, read-in-2020, series

Yes! Just YES to everything about this first in series title! In under 175 pages, Renee Watson gives young readers a main character that they will want to get to know better. Ryan is the kind of kid you want to be friends with and the struggles she faces are just normal, every day kind of struggles that kids will relate too. The story line has depth and heart, which we could use more of for the younger readers! This would make a fantastic read aloud and/or book club selection as well! Definitely ...more

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May 25, 2020 Shaye Miller rated it really liked it

This sweet little early chapter book was such a fun addition to my reading week. Ryan Hart is the youngest in her family. That’s right, HER family. She was named Ryan because she is to become a great leader. And her parents don’t shy away from reminding her of this fact whenever appropriate. At the opening of this story, Ryan’s family is facing some major life changes after her father lost his job with the USPS (how appropriate, considering our current situation), so they will be moving to a new ...more

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May 14, 2020 Kelly Hager rated it it was amazing

This is seriously the literary equivalent of sunshine. I had the best time reading it and I'm sure I had a smile on my face 99% of the time. (There were also times I felt sad, because it's a realistic book. But it was mostly the most positive reading experience possible.)

This book is also laugh-out-loud funny. There's a part where Ryan, her brother and their friends are in a park and something goes very wrong and I laughed so hard that I'm pretty sure I could be heard in other apartments.

Renee ...more

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May 19, 2020 Lindsey Stoddard added it

Loved this! So glad it’s going to be a series!

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Apr 28, 2020 Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) rated it it was amazing

Renee Watson’s Ways to Make Sunshine is an absolutely delightful early middle-grade book with a memorable protagonist. I would recommend this book to any who enjoy strong female leads, books about female friendships, and heartwarming sibling dynamics. This book also excellently handles the issue of a family dealing with financial difficulties, and finally, it reminds Black girls that they are not their hair. Highly recommend, and can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Read my full review on ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Beth Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-aloud, 2020

Read aloud to all my kids, and we just loved this book! This is a beautiful, real life story, featuring a Black girl and her family. They deal with real life together - problems with friends, moving, new jobs, being frugal, weather cancelling plans, sibling issues, race issues, and most of all, what it means to focus on yourself and what you can control. I really hope this ends up being a series, but if not it has helped me to find a new author and I need to read more of her works!

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Jul 21, 2020 Katrina Tangen rated it liked it · review of another edition

I don’t know why anyone is comparing this to Ramona—she’s not a trouble-maker and it’s not at all funny. I was really confused about her age for awhile. Between the Ramona comparison and the pictures (which are super cute!), I thought she was in like 2nd grade, not 4th. Which made it even more jarring that the voice does not sound like a kid at all—too formal and the descriptions are too writerly.

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Apr 24, 2020 Richelle Robinson rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-releases, diverse-reads-2020, middle-grade

*Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's Books for my free review copy*

After reading and loving Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson, I am making it my business to read more of her books. I watched the television show Ramona when I was younger so this is a nice and refreshing spin on the character.

This book doesn't have a traditional plot but the general consensus is how to be a positive person. Taking risks. Believing in yourself. How to overcome adversity. It also has some nice life lessons ...more

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Jul 10, 2020 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, juvenile-fiction

An absolute delight. The comparison to Ramona is apt, but Ryan Hart is her own inimitable force. Love, love, love.

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Nov 05, 2020 Dan rated it it was amazing

Delightful. My daughters loved Ryan and her family.

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Jan 03, 2021 Kerry (lines i underline) rated it really liked it

4.5 ⭐️

A dear little book that felt like sneaking a glimpse into a real family - their challenges, their connection, their sweet rituals, and their love. Ryan is a character I think lots of children will relate to in different ways. I’ll definitely want to read more in this series. The family dynamic may appeal to fans of The Vanderbeekers.

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Mar 25, 2020 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it really liked it

Shelves: strong-girls-strong-women, children-s-books, family

"If we can't go to the parade,
let's have one here."

I saw this quote from Ways to Make Sunshine today, and I had to read this book.

Ryan Hart is the perfect character in the perfect story for these unsettling times. Ryan's family is moving to a smaller house. Ryan's dad, who had lost his job, has just accepted a new job, but the new job is for less money. Ryan and her brother, Ray, have frequent, petty squabbles. Sometimes Ryan and her friends have difficulties. Should Ryan obey her mother and ke ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 Emma rated it really liked it

Grade: B-
An ARC was provided by Bloomsbury Children's in exchange for an honest review.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I've been hearing about this book since I still interned at Bloomsbury, and my interest was sky-high. It's been pitched as a modern, Black-girl Ramona Quimby, which is something I am absolutely here for. I devoured the Ramona books over and over again as an elementary schooler, and I love the idea of young girls today having a new version of her.
There are sibling squabbles and ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 Dany rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-reads, 2019-reads, 4-stars, diverse-middle-grade

Ways to make sunshine follows the story of Ryan Hart , who loves to cook , has an annoying brother and hates it because she has to move to a new home .

Ways to make sunshine will be a perfect read for middle grade fans .

Why ?
🌟Best friend drama
🌟Moving out
🌟Finding a talent
🌟Socially awkward & Lovable MC
🌟 Gorgeous artworks of the family.

I thank Edelweiss and Bloomsbury Children's books for granting me with an e-ARC for reviewing. This has not affected my opinions ...more

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Apr 23, 2020 Cait Hutsell rated it really liked it

Sweet book about finding where you fit, how to be brave, how to deal with family and change. Great upper elementary or lower middle grades book.

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Jun 02, 2020 Kari rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020

Very cute! The Ramona comparison is very apt. Not quite as funny as Ramona but very realistic and heartfelt friend and family problems and joys.

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Mar 06, 2020 Lost in Book Land rated it really liked it

Welcome Back!

My Goodreads currently-reading shelf is overflowing with finished books that I need to get a review up for and yet here I am reading more! So when my currently-reading shelf actually turns to a crazy high number like 100 its all my own fault and I will have actually read like 75 or more of those and just never wrote the review. This week alone I have finished like four books or graphic novels and then started like three others. So here I am finally sitting down and writing the revie ...more

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Feb 25, 2021 Heather Moore rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021

I’ve heard such rave reviews about this book that I planned to read it aloud to my 13 year old, but a friend who recently read it talked me out of it. While glad she did, I now realize that this is a book where expectations need to be managed. This is aimed at 2nd-5th graders with no major plot-defining moment. It’s about a girl navigating her everyday life of going to school, moving to a smaller house, and fighting (good grief, too much bickering) with her brother. I really appreciated some of ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 Mary Lee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: realistic-fiction, 2020, identity, friends, family

I love this book so much, and I can't wait for more in the series. You know how there are some book characters you can imagine having as a friend? Book families that you love being part of, even if it's just through the pages? That's the kind of book this is, that's the kind of character Ryan is. I originally had this book tagged African American, but it's more like what the book jacket blurb says -- a more modern and uniquely Renee Watson version of Ramona Quimby. What I really need to do is cr ...more

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Jan 08, 2021 Sheena rated it really liked it

Shelves: j, popsugar-2021, 2021

A wonderful grade school book about a middle class black family. This book is one of those that I wish I had read more of when I was in grade school - discusses race, SES, family dynamics, friendship and bullying. I feel like as a kid I also read so many books that had white main characters :( SO MORE BOOKS WITH NONWHITE PROTAGONISTS PLEASE, for all the POC kids out there growing up and wanting to be represented, thanks~

I read this for work, but it also fits well into this year's popsugar readin ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 Jasmine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-anticipated-releases, netgalley-ebooks

4/5

This was really cute! I really enjoyed reading about Ryan's relationships with her family and friends and about her love for cooking! There's a lot in here about beauty standards for Black children, specifically in terms of hair and skin colour, which I thought was handled really well. Overall, this is something I'd recommend for children around the age of 8.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's and Netgalley for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions ex ...more

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About Renée Watson

Renée Watson

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Renée Watson is the author of the children’s picture book, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen (Random House, June 2010), which was featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Her middle grade novel, What Momma Left Me debuted as the New Voice for 2010 in middle grade fiction by The Independent Children's Booksellers Association.

Renée’s one woman show, Roses are Red, Women are Blue, debuted at N ...more

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Trivia About Ways to Make Suns...

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Quotes from Ways to Make Suns...

“Here's the thing about ice cream. No matter how sweet it is, no matter if it's given to you even when you aren't supposed to have it, no matter if you're told you can come back for seconds—it doesn't take away the sadness.” — 0 likes

“But most of all I love Tillamook’s Marionberry Pie ice cream. The rich vanilla ice cream is mixed with fresh Oregon marionberries and big chunks of piecrust. I always eat it slow so it can last and last.” — 0 likes

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