Narrator Chloe Cannon’s Southern accent enhances this sweet story of contemporary friendship on an island off the coast of South Carolina. After a life-saving heart transplant, 12-year-old Sunny is ready to reinvent herself, starting with finding a new best friend and then kissing a boy. Sunny’s engaging personality shines brightly through Cannon’s narration. She gives Sunny’s brave optimism and sometimes morbid humor a fun and relatable voice with just the right amount of precocious sass. A cast of supporting characters sounds equally authentic. Kate, Sunny’s loving and supportive foster mother; Quinn, the sophisticated new best friend whom Sunny starts to have confusing feelings for; and Lena, the mother who abandoned Sunny when she was 4, all have distinct, compelling voices. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Praise for The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James:The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James is a moving coming of age story that is not only engaging to read but is also deeply important. Sunny is a funny, thoughtful, and wonderfully rendered character who will stay with you long after you have finished reading.—Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound

"The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James will make you ache for the twelve-year-old you once were, and anxious to share this book with every pre-teen you know. I may be Ashley Herring Blake's biggest fan!"—Shannon Hitchcock, author of One True Way and Ruby Lee & Me

"The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James pulls at the heart strings from the very first sentence. Part soul-crushing, part soul-fulfilling, laced in humor and unwavering hope. Readers will root for Sunny from start to finish. Ashley Herring Blake hits all the feels with this one. Love is love is Love. Surely a message we all can get on board with!"—Tami Charles, author of Like Vanessa and Definitely Daphne

"In The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James, Ashley Herring Blake honors the big, messy emotions inherent in being a preteen girl. Sunny is portrayed with such deep empathy and respect that she's destined to be a treasured friend for readers. This book is a joy."—Anne Ursu, author of The Lost Girl

"Sunny's bravery and buoyant spirit as she explores the truth about her family and herself will leave a lasting impression on the reader's heart."—Barbara Dee, author of Everything I Know About You and Halfway Normal

* "A sweet and gentle story of self-discovery and a beautiful addition to the growing genre of middle-grade realism featuring girls who like girls."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A heartwarming and engaging tale that treats Sunny's emerging sexual identity with care, authenticity, and age appropriateness."—School Library Journal, starred review

* "[The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James] is an accomplished, layered, moving story featuring a girl questioning her sexuality. Bighearted in every way."—Booklist, starred review

★ 02/01/2019

Gr 3–6—A contemporary middle grade story about starting over and redefining yourself. Sunshine "Sunny" St. James has had a heart transplant, and she's ready to start her life over again. She has a plan that involves finding a new best friend and finally kissing a boy. Then Sunny's mother shows up in town and tries to reconnect with her, and Sunny isn't sure what to think. Also, she is starting to feel more than best-friend feelings toward her new best friend. This is a sweet, gentle story of a 12-year-old girl who is just starting to decide where she fits in the world. Sunny's distinct character and voice shine through as she tries to reinvent herself. Readers will be able to relate to Sunny's struggles in finding a new best friend and her feelings regarding her former best friend. Even without a fast-moving plot, this story is still compelling, as readers follow Sunny in her decisions to spend time with her mother, who abandoned her when she was four years old, as well as her quest to find a boy to kiss. Sunny ultimately discovers that she is interested in both boys and girls. This slice-of-life story is perfect for fans of Lisa Bigelow's Drum Roll, Please or Joanne Rocklin's Love, Penelope. VERDICT A heartwarming and engaging tale that treats Sunny's emerging sexual identity with care, authenticity, and age appropriateness. A first purchase for public and school libraries.—Jenni Frencham, Indiana University

Narrator Chloe Cannon’s Southern accent enhances this sweet story of contemporary friendship on an island off the coast of South Carolina. After a life-saving heart transplant, 12-year-old Sunny is ready to reinvent herself, starting with finding a new best friend and then kissing a boy. Sunny’s engaging personality shines brightly through Cannon’s narration. She gives Sunny’s brave optimism and sometimes morbid humor a fun and relatable voice with just the right amount of precocious sass. A cast of supporting characters sounds equally authentic. Kate, Sunny’s loving and supportive foster mother; Quinn, the sophisticated new best friend whom Sunny starts to have confusing feelings for; and Lena, the mother who abandoned Sunny when she was 4, all have distinct, compelling voices. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

★ 2018-12-13

Sunny St. James has just had a heart transplant and is ready to take three crucial steps into her New Life.

Step No. 1: Do "awesome amazing things" her cardiomyopathy kept her from doing. Step No. 2: "Find a new best friend" to replace Margot, who betrayed her trust. Step No. 3: "Find a boy" to kiss, "because kisses." Sunny achieves the first two steps almost simultaneously: She goes swimming in the ocean for the first time since her diagnosis and she meets blue-haired Quinn Ríos Rivera, and the two agree to be best friends. The third proves to be difficult, because Sunny finds she doesn't want to kiss a boy. She wants to kiss Quinn. Sunny's struggles are numerous but well-balanced and never overwhelm readers. The 12-year-old's mother, Lena, who gave Sunny to her best friend, Kate, to raise eight years ago, is ready to be part of Sunny's life. Sunny isn't sure she wants to know Lena, a recovering alcoholic. She's also uncertain as to which feelings are hers and which ones belong to her unknown heart donor, but her thoughtful, present-tense voice as she parses these feelings is all hers. Quinn is Puerto Rican; Kate's boyfriend is black; and Lena's husband is South Asian. Assume whiteness for everyone else.

A sweet and gentle story of self-discovery and a beautiful addition to the growing genre of middle-grade realism featuring girls who like girls. (Fiction. 8-13)