Sunshine Simpson Cooks Up a Storm

By Author / Illustrator

G.M. Linton, Fuuji Takashi

Genre

Friends and family

Age range(s)

Publisher

Usborne Publishing Ltd

ISBN

9781801313353

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

28-09-2023

Synopsis

Meet Sunshine Simpson - a brand-new best friend for 9+ readers! Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson.

Sunshine Simpson's life has never been so busy! She feels like she's on a ROLLERCOASTER. At school, everyone is talking about preparing for the big move to SCARY secondary. Plus, there's a Charity Bake Sale to plan for. But with Sunshine's Dad travelling for work, Mum forgetting how to smile, a surprise family guest in the mix, and her BFFs and bake-sale classmate Riley CLASHING, Sunshine needs a DARING PLAN to stop the storm clouds from settling! Will Sunshine's foolproof plan prove to be a piece of CAKE...or a recipe for disaster?

PRAISE FOR THE SUNSHINE SIMPSON SERIES: "An utterly brilliant book that had me laughing and crying in equal measure. G.M. Linton has created a truly radiant heroine. It is officially a new favourite." Tola Okogwu, author of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun. "A book as warm and radiant as sunshine itself! I loved it." Lisa Thompson, author of The Goldfish Boy. "A beautiful, heartwarming hug of a book about the power of self-acceptance. I defy anyone not to fall in love with Sunshine!" Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear. "I loved this book, Sunshine entirely lives up to her name in this delightful story that manages to be both sincerely heartfelt and sparklingly funny in equal measure." L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency. "The story is filled with heart, humour, joy and sadness. I couldn't stop reading." Serena Patel, author of the Anisha, Accidental Detective series.

Reviews

Sunshine Simpson is back again, it’s a new year and a scary year as she and her friends plan for their transition to secondary school, away from the safety of what they know and potentially away from each other. It's all about to change and Sunshine doesn't like it. To make things worse, things have been different at home too. Since her grandad died, nothing seems to be the same. Mum and dad keep whispering about something and she feels as if she's being treated like the Twinzies. Sunshine decides to take things into her own hands and thinks that if she can just track down her grandma and get her to come home from her travels, then everything will be okay again. But what Sunshine doesn't realise is that sometimes, we can't always get what we wish for.

G M Linton encapsulates the trials and tribulations of ten-year-olds in Sunshine Simpson Cooks Up A Storm. The worries and issues of friendship, families and feeling on the edge of growing up, paired with the need to be the same as others whilst also appreciating your strengths, weaknesses and differences, is the foundation of Sunshine's life. The book holds many layers from celebrating Black History through the 'person of the day' boards that run throughout the story, to dealing with big themes of bereavement and loss, the dynamics of an estranged family and all the underlying currents that run throughout, wrapped up in the lightness and humour of Sunshine Simpson.

A triumph of a book that children will love as they continue this special journey through the eyes of Sunshine Simpson. Recommended for 8+. Curriculum links to: Black History month, friendship, change, loss, bereavement, family, determination and perseverance.

352 pages / Reviewed by Donna Burkert, teacher