Make a Move, Sunny Park!

July 3, 2023
Korean American seventh grader Sunny Park loves to dance, especially to music from her favorite K-pop group, Supreme Beat. Her white best friend Bailey thinks Supreme Beat is immature, which doesn’t surprise Sunny—Bailey often makes snap judgments and will rarely change her mind once it’s made up. Despite Sunny’s stage fright, she agrees to audition for the school dance team with Bailey, but things don’t go as planned when only Sunny makes the cut. Sunny’s decision to carry on dancing with the team alienates Bailey further, as do Sunny’s budding friendships with fellow teammates and Supreme Beats fans Jadyn, who is Filipino, and Bea, who reads as Greek. Though Sunny wants to fix her relationship with Bailey, she also enjoys hanging out with her new friends, prompting conflicting feelings about how to spend her time. But communication lessons from her dance partners and “no-filter” Halmoni help Sunny shore up the confidence to advocate for herself in relationships. While some plot points don’t fully coalesce, sensitive portrayals of anxiety define this joyful novel. With unmitigated and endearing honesty, Kim (Stand Up, Yumi Chung!) proffers myriad interpretations of friendship and what it means to be a true friend. Ages 9–12.

July 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 Seventh-grader Sunny Park is feeling pressure from many directions. Her mother urges her to get over her social anxiety. Sunny's longtime best friend, Baily, who is having trouble adjusting to her parents' divorce, demands Sunny's companionship and support while disparaging her friend's enthusiasm for Supreme Beat, a K-pop band. Baily presses Sunny to try out for the school dance team. Sunny is chosen, but Baily is not. After befriending two fellow dancers who love Supreme Beat, Sunny honors a commitment to them instead of attending her friend's mother's wedding. Baily retaliates online with a video aimed at destroying Sunny's reputation. Taking responsibility for her actions, Sunny brings this hurtful episode to a close and moves forward. Kim, a former teacher and the author of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! (2020), is equally adept in portraying the members of Sunny's three-generation Korean American household and realistically recreating the shifting dynamics of middle-school friendships. Sunny's first-person narrative becomes increasingly involving as characters and events create rising tension. The appealing jacket art will help this heartening story find its audience.

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Starred review from June 15, 2023
When Sunny joins the school dance team, she discovers some important things about friendship--and about herself. Sunny Park, a Korean American seventh grader, has been best friends with Bailey Stern, a White girl, since third grade. Sunny prides herself on being a good friend: She is always there for Bailey, supporting her through her parents' divorce and being available at a moment's notice. She doesn't even let Bailey's disparaging remarks about her Korean identity or her love of K-pop bother her. It's always been just the two of them, doing everything together, like taking ballet--and then both quitting right after Sunny landed the lead in The Nutcracker. Now, Bailey wants to try out for Ranchito Mesa Middle School's dance team, and Sunny, who suffers from social anxiety disorder, agrees to do it too. But when she makes the team and Bailey doesn't, Sunny begins the journey of discovering her own resilience, making new friends, and realizing what really makes for strong relationships. Kim does a stellar job of portraying different types of friendships, illustrating how healthy and unhealthy ones can differ and creating an authentic road map for tweens who are navigating the social complexities of middle school. At the same time, she infuses Sunny's growth as a friend, an artist, and a leader with fun and joy--especially during the dance scenes. Make a move on this book--its heart will cheer your soul. (Fiction. 8-12)

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September 1, 2023
Korean American Sunny Park wants to support her best friend, Bailey, whose parents are getting divorced (she also wants to avoid Bailey's resentment). Although Sunny experiences social anxiety, she agrees to endure the judgment of fellow seventh graders by auditioning for the middle-school dance team with Bailey. When Sunny makes the team and Bailey doesn't, their friendship becomes strained. Sunny bonds with teammates who share her love of the same K-pop group, an interest that Bailey has derided as immature. Finding solace in her supportive family, Sunny is especially close to her halmoni, who moved in after Sunny's grandfather passed away. Sunny shares the joy of K-pop while her grandmother shares advice and stories of her own childhood as she prepares (vividly described) Korean dishes. Despite the challenges of navigating social interactions, making mistakes, and reflecting on relationships, Sunny finds personal growth and leadership through the dance team. Kim offers humor, tween drama, and a satisfying conclusion in this well-paced story of self-discovery. Kristine Techavanich

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

December 2, 2023

Gr 5-8-A relatable story for tweens that illustrates the struggle of ending a toxic friendship and the triumph of being unapologetically yourself. Sunny Park is a Korean American seventh grader who has learned to make herself small. While Sunny loves K-pop and dancing, her best friend Bailey does not, and she shames Sunny for her "immature" hobbies. Sunny is afraid to face Bailey's anger if she goes against her wishes or fails to be completely available to meet Bailey's needs. After joining the school's dance team and making new friends who are part of the same K-pop fandom, Sunny begins to work through her social anxiety and realizes how much Bailey has been holding her back. This slice-of-life, character-driven story is a quick read, mostly conveyed through dialogue. Sunny is an empathetic and complex character who grows from her mistakes. VERDICT A potential mirror for tweens who are struggling with their sense of self-worth and navigating the complexities of friendship. Recommended for middle school collections.-Maria Bohan

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