Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Storms

by Marion Roberts

Sunny Hathaway—introvert, entrepreneur, inventor, poet, dog lover, and lateral thinker—has a lot on her plate. She's moving to a new house, dealing with step-siblings, and starting a dog entertainment business too.  Sunny and her expertly blended, thoroughly modern family are moving into her grandmother's old mansion, Windermere. Sunny wins the turret bedroom from her step-siblings (using her powers of reverse psychology), but is soon tangled up in mischief involving bored dogs, a cranky old gardener, an angel sighting, a match-making mission, and a boy who knits. To make matters worse, over at her dad's house, Sunny's baby half-sister Flora has turned the world upside-down, and Steph can't seem to find a way to turn it right-side-up again. Even with a sunny disposition, storm clouds can gather on the horizon, and this winter Sunny must find ways to offer warmth and shelter to those she cares for most.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Family, Social, Juvenile, Animals

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Marion Roberts always wanted to be a fashion designer, but she studied science, alternative medicine, psychotherapy, and psychology instead. She also worked as a chef and taught people how to cook.

Marion started writing because she wanted a job she could do in her pajamas. Also, her friends kept saying her emails were too long, and she needed to find another place to put her stories.

She was born in Melbourne, which has always been her hometown. Marion's first book featuring the irrepressible Sunny Hathaway, Sunny Side Up, was published in 2008. Her latest book is the YA psychological thriller, Cry Blue Murder.

Reviews

[peppermint purple · Rating 4 out of 5]

lighthearted and fun, this book doesn't really take itself too seriously. there aren't any dark, heavy, sad topics like you'd find in typical fantasy-adventure middle grade book. if you want to read something light, fluffy, filled with funny pre-teen snark and disasterous plans, read this.

i enjoyed the family dynamics in the book. sunny's parents are divorced but isn't a whole angsty spectacle, or a significant plot point. although i have zero experience with stepsiblings, i do have multiple little siblings and i can certify the stepsibling dynamic as written with perfect accuracy to how real siblings behave.

also can we just reiterate how funny sunny's inner monologue is. because it is.

[Nitin Arora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this is a book targetted for the youth, i still liked the story and the cosy atmosphere, that brings back many childhood memories.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[ISLN (Int'l School Library Network) Singapore]

Reading age 9 to 13
Sunny is not happy about moving to the mansion left by Granny Carmelene to Sunny’s mother, Alex. As she points out she ‘isn’t so good with change’. What an understatement, but as in the previous tale of Sunny, Sunny Side Up, change, adaptation and cooperation just make life better, brighter, and richer—eventually!
Establishing a civil relationship with Carmelene’s old gardener, Settimio, seems doomed to failure, but even that has an unexpected outcome. As well there is a new mini-business (dog exercise and training) set up by Sunny and her two step-siblings Lyall and Saskia, Sunny finds a new friend training pigeons for pigeon post, the grounds of the mansion are set aside for community gardens, step-mother Steph and baby Flora move in and there is a wedding.
A happy, ever-interesting story with a touch of sadness in Sunny’s imaginative method for dealing with grief, and much hilarity, especially Saskia’s determination to be dyslexic, just like famous artists of the past.
Highly recommended.

Themes in this book:
Community life. Cooperation. Depression, Mental. Girls. Grief. Houses. Imagination. Melbourne, Vic. Moving house. Relationships. Step-parents and stepchildren.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!
I first read it when I was about 11. Since then I have read it over 20 times and I still laugh out loud every time. If I finish a depressing book that didn't have a happy ending (which unfortunately is happening a lot lately) I always open to a random page and read this book. It just cheers me up so much.

I read "Mostly Sunny With a Chance of Storms" before "Sunny Side Up" and this didn't really matter or spoil anything. I went out and bought "Sunny Side Up" as soon as I had finished this.

[Penni Russon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me real estate rage, but apart from the foaming with jealousy part, I was charmed by Sunny. I read the first a few years ago, and picked this one up looking for a good tween novel. Enjoyed the characters immensely, I would have liked more Finn.

[Nikki]

i thought this book was great because it is really interesting and you dont know what is going to happen next. this book is good for 12 to 15 year old girls

[Kitkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've only just started but so far awesome....:P

[Daniella · Rating 3 out of 5]

okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great book i read it in primary school

[Megan ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely in love with this when I read it years ago and I have such fond memories of it. And I just reread it and loved it just as much. So much nostalgia!

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book - it's so darn cute and funny!

[Annabel Blizzard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This came up on my recommendations and I remembered I read it a few years ago :D