About This Book
Reach for this book when your child starts expressing anxiety about the world, such as worrying about the environment or feeling overwhelmed by scary headlines. As children grow, they become more aware of global issues, which can lead to 'eco-anxiety' or a general sense of helplessness. This story provides a gentle, proactive roadmap for managing those big feelings by shifting focus toward local, positive action. In this installment, Judy Moody encounters distressing news at school, ranging from endangered sea turtles to climate change. Rather than staying in a 'mood,' she decides to become a kid reporter and hunt for 'sunny-side-up' stories in her own community. The book models how a child can transform worry into agency and creativity. It is a fantastic choice for parents who want to validate their child's concerns while encouraging a resilient, optimistic outlook.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
This book addresses common childhood anxieties regarding global issues like climate change and viruses. While these are handled with Judy’s signature humor, a sensitive child might feel a brief echo of real-world worries mentioned in the first few chapters. Parents should be prepared to discuss why news often focuses on problems and how focusing on solutions can help.
Ideal Reader
An elementary-aged child who is a 'thinker' and may be prone to worrying about the environment or the state of the world. It is also perfect for budding writers and creators who enjoy DIY projects.
Parent Prep
The book can be read cold, but parents may want to look at the bonus newspaper at the end to prepare for the inevitable request to start a family or school newspaper. Parents may find Judy’s initial intense pessimism or "doom and gloom" attitude challenging if their child is already prone to mimicry of moods.
Age Experience
Seven-year-olds will relate to Judy’s big moods and the fun of the scavenger hunt for news. Nine-year-olds will better appreciate the media literacy aspect: the 'Five Ws' and the intentionality of news curation.
What Makes It Special
While many books tackle eco-anxiety, Sunny-Side-Up does so through the lens of journalism and media literacy, teaching kids not just to be activists, but to be observers and storytellers of the good around them.
Read plot summary
When Mr. Todd introduces a newspaper project to Class 3T, Judy Moody is struck by the overwhelming amount of 'bad news' in the world: climate change, viruses, and animals in danger. To combat her anxiety, Judy creates her own newspaper, the Sunny-Side-Up News. She hunts for positive 'scoops,' including an escaped lizard, a school straw ban, and local legends of buried treasure, eventually finding that good news is everywhere if you look for it.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Judy feels overwhelmed by bad news at the start. Have you ever felt that way? What makes you feel better when the world seems scary?
2
Why do you think the newspaper Judy read in class had more bad news than good news? Does that mean the good news isn't happening?
3
If you were a kid reporter like Judy, what is one 'sunny-side-up' story you would write about our family or our neighborhood?
4
Judy used her 'six-year pen' to take action. How did writing her own newspaper change her mood compared to just reading someone else's news?
5
At Screamin' Mimi's, Judy overhears a scoop. What does it mean to have 'integrity' as a reporter when you are looking for stories?
