Make a Move, Sunny Park!
by Jessica Kim (Author)
From the author of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! comes a funny and utterly charming novel about friends--how to make them, how to let go of them, and how to be your own BFF.
This is the story of Sunny Park, a seventh-grade student at Ranchito Mesa Middle who loves the K-pop band Supreme Beat, hanging out with her cool grandma, dancing when no one is watching, snacking on shrimp chips, and being there for Bailey, her best friend since third grade. When Bailey decides that she and Sunny should audition for the school dance team in a ploy to parent-trap Bailey's divorced mom and dad, Sunny agrees even though the thought of performing in public makes her pits sweat. After all, she'd do anything for Bailey.
In a twist of fate, Sunny makes the team and Bailey doesn't, and when Sunny reluctantly joins, it's the start of a painful and drawn-out parting of ways for the two girls. As Sunny takes her first steps out from behind her friend's shadow, she'll have to figure out who she wants to be when she's in the spotlight--and who she wants dancing alongside her.
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Publishers Weekly
Korean American seventh grader Sunny Park loves to dance, especially to music from her favorite K-pop group, Supreme Beat. Her white best friend Bailey thinks Supreme Beat is immature, which doesn't surprise Sunny--Bailey often makes snap judgments and will rarely change her mind once it's made up. Despite Sunny's stage fright, she agrees to audition for the school dance team with Bailey, but things don't go as planned when only Sunny makes the cut. Sunny's decision to carry on dancing with the team alienates Bailey further, as do Sunny's budding friendships with fellow teammates and Supreme Beats fans Jadyn, who is Filipino, and Bea, who reads as Greek. Though Sunny wants to fix her relationship with Bailey, she also enjoys hanging out with her new friends, prompting conflicting feelings about how to spend her time. But communication lessons from her dance partners and "no-filter" Halmoni help Sunny shore up the confidence to advocate for herself in relationships. While some plot points don't fully coalesce, sensitive portrayals of anxiety define this joyful novel. With unmitigated and endearing honesty, Kim (Stand Up, Yumi Chung!) proffers myriad interpretations of friendship and what it means to be a true friend. Ages 9-12. (Aug.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★Kim has taught school, and it shows, both with the spot-on dialogue and the up-to-date social media references... This will certainly remind readers of Kelly Yang's Front Desk (2018).
—Booklist, starred review ★A must-read.
—School Library Connection, starred review
JUV031020 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Dance
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
Korean Americans
