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Sunrise Undefeated
124 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 11, 2025
Uplifting and Inspiring – Highly Recommended!
Jim Mahler’s Sunrise Undefeated is a beautiful story of sibling bond and resilience. Young James refuses to let his sister’s leukemia win without a fight, learning that hope is a gift anyone can give. Heartfelt, relatable, and full of quiet heroism. Perfect for middle-grade readers and families. A quick read that lingers long after!
Jim Mahler’s Sunrise Undefeated is a beautiful story of sibling bond and resilience. Young James refuses to let his sister’s leukemia win without a fight, learning that hope is a gift anyone can give. Heartfelt, relatable, and full of quiet heroism. Perfect for middle-grade readers and families. A quick read that lingers long after!
January 16, 2026
My thoughts on Sunrise Undefeated by Jim Mahler can be summed up fairly easily: wow. Incredibly well-done, the short novel follows the story of 11-year-old James as he tries to do something special for his 14-year-old sister, Laura, who is battling leukemia. While aimed at young audiences, I would recommend this book to anyone of any age; a story of hope and resilience, it’s a warm hug that we could all use every now and again.
James is a special young individual; even though he is only 11 years of age, he has a very big and kind heart, and an unrelenting determination that is admirable in anyone of any age. When he finds out his sister – his best friend in the whole world – has leukemia and needs to go through chemotherapy, he immediately knows he is going to do something special for her in order to lift her spirits; thus, Project Laura is born.
The novel follows James as he navigates this special project; running into obstacles, each one presents a life lesson for James – and therefore the reader – to learn. Surrounded by small nuggets of everyday wisdom, gifted to him by people like his best friend Luke, his bus driver, and his school’s custodian, James fights every step of the way to make sure he can see his project through. In the end, it’s James’s hope and inner strength, along with the everyday kindness of those in his life, that bring about the completion of the project.
James and his family and friends embody the overarching theme of the novel: hope is hard-won, and you always have to hold onto it as hard as you can. Laura is most affected by her diagnosis, losing hope rapidly as the novel goes on. It’s James who gives it back to her just by loving her and wanting to do something so special for her. The adults and friends in James’ life give him hope, allowing him to pass it on to his parents and sister. Community is vital to the story and the characters within, teaching a valuable lesson to young readers about the importance of friendship, talking with the trusted adults in their lives, and striving to be there for and support the people that they love.
I read the book going into 2026, and it was exactly the right read to end my 2025 on; a lesson in hope, love, and strength, Sunrise Undefeated by Jim Mahler is well worth it for young readers and adults alike.
James is a special young individual; even though he is only 11 years of age, he has a very big and kind heart, and an unrelenting determination that is admirable in anyone of any age. When he finds out his sister – his best friend in the whole world – has leukemia and needs to go through chemotherapy, he immediately knows he is going to do something special for her in order to lift her spirits; thus, Project Laura is born.
The novel follows James as he navigates this special project; running into obstacles, each one presents a life lesson for James – and therefore the reader – to learn. Surrounded by small nuggets of everyday wisdom, gifted to him by people like his best friend Luke, his bus driver, and his school’s custodian, James fights every step of the way to make sure he can see his project through. In the end, it’s James’s hope and inner strength, along with the everyday kindness of those in his life, that bring about the completion of the project.
James and his family and friends embody the overarching theme of the novel: hope is hard-won, and you always have to hold onto it as hard as you can. Laura is most affected by her diagnosis, losing hope rapidly as the novel goes on. It’s James who gives it back to her just by loving her and wanting to do something so special for her. The adults and friends in James’ life give him hope, allowing him to pass it on to his parents and sister. Community is vital to the story and the characters within, teaching a valuable lesson to young readers about the importance of friendship, talking with the trusted adults in their lives, and striving to be there for and support the people that they love.
I read the book going into 2026, and it was exactly the right read to end my 2025 on; a lesson in hope, love, and strength, Sunrise Undefeated by Jim Mahler is well worth it for young readers and adults alike.
November 23, 2025
“In the battle between night and day, the sunrise is undefeated.”
When his older sister, Laura, is diagnosed with leukemia, 11-year-old James launches Project Laura. With some help from his best friend, he tries to raise money to buy Laura tickets to the Final Four. As his fundraising efforts encounter multiple roadblocks, James questions how much a fifth-grader can really do in the battle against cancer. But a few unlikely allies encourage James to keep fighting for Project Laura and, more importantly, show him the power of hope.
A fantastic book for middle-grade readers, touching on themes of family, community, friendship, and hope!
When his older sister, Laura, is diagnosed with leukemia, 11-year-old James launches Project Laura. With some help from his best friend, he tries to raise money to buy Laura tickets to the Final Four. As his fundraising efforts encounter multiple roadblocks, James questions how much a fifth-grader can really do in the battle against cancer. But a few unlikely allies encourage James to keep fighting for Project Laura and, more importantly, show him the power of hope.
A fantastic book for middle-grade readers, touching on themes of family, community, friendship, and hope!
September 26, 2026
Every member of our household will be reading this book. We can never know the battles others may be fighting if we never take time to learn their stories.
November 3, 2025
Wonderful book about the love between siblings and the unselfish goal of a brother to do everything he can to make his sister happy.
June 18, 2026
If you and/or your upper elementary contacts want a book that shines a light on siblings who support each other, especially in hard times, you need to read this book. Jim did a great job with character and plot development, and pulls a strong theme of hope throughout the story. At 124 pages, it's a quick, but rewarding read. Warning, you may shed a few "good" tears.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews