Sunny Parker and her dad live at the Del Mar Apartments, an affordable housing option for low income residents. Dad is the manager and fix- it-man, although it might take him some time to complete a repair request with three floors of apartments.

Sunny loves the Del Mar and helps her dad by cleaning up areas like the laundry room. Her best friend Haley also lives there and many of the other apartment dwellers are some of her favorite people. That wouldn’t include old Sourpuss Scanlon. Sunny believes the tale that if you talk to her you are cursed.

When the city proposes building another affordable housing unit at the site of an abandoned school, Sunny begins to realize rich people living in big houses nearby don’t like the idea. Having more poor people is not a good thing for their town and brings down the values of their own homes.

Sunny never thought of herself as poor and worries about going to middle school and being labeled that way. With the help of Haley and a few other of her Del Mar friends, Sunny is determined to change the way others feel. Dad wants her to stay low and not bring attention to their apartment complex. Let the conflict begin!

Sunny narrates the tale and although it is not intended to be a fast moving, full of action type story, Sunny is a winning main character that you will remember. She brings her sunny personality to every conflict, always trying to understand others. The diverse cast of characters is also a plus.

Be sure to not miss the authors note as she details her own experience growing up at an affordable housing unit. SUNNY PARKER IS HERE TO STAY serves as a perfect starting point for reflection and discussion about different income levels.

PAGE COUNT: 288 BOOK BIRTHDAY: April 23, 2024

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT SUNNY PARKER IS HERE TO STAY by Margaret Finnegan

1. The change in each character was portrayed nicely. That includes an abused female resident, Sunny’s Dad, and Sourpuss Scanlon who turns out to be not such a sourpuss.
2. Seeing a neighborhood quite different from their own will enlighten readers. Although I was too young to remember, my parents managed an affordable apartment complex before moving to a small house. They had many wonderful and scary stories to tell.
3. The thoughts Sunny has about her Dad being a coward were heartbreaking, but the end result brought hope to the situation.
4. Standing up for what you believe in and having your voice heard is an important and memorable part of the plot.
5. This will appeal to an upper elementary school audience and the issues brought forth are a great starting point towards openness and understanding towards others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margaret Finnegan is the author of the Junior Library Guild Selections New Kids and Underdogs, We Could Be Heroes, and Susie B. Won’t Back Down. Her other work has appeared in FamilyFun, the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and other publications. She lives in South Pasadena, California, where she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, and baking really good chocolate cakes. Visit her online at MargaretFinnegan.com.

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