Families who loved Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
You would reach for this book if your child is struggling to make sense of a family member's unpredictable behavior or if your household is currently navigating the hidden stress of substance abuse. Sunny Side Up follows a young girl sent to live with her grandfather in a Florida retirement community during the 1970s. While it looks like a lighthearted story about catching stray cats and reading comics, the narrative skillfully weaves in Sunny's memories of her older brother's escalating drug use and the heavy silence that often surrounds family secrets. This book is an essential tool for parents who want to validate a child's feelings of confusion and guilt when someone they love is unwell. It offers a gentle, age-appropriate way to break the silence and remind children that they are not responsible for the choices of the adults or older siblings in their lives.