Review: The Sun Will Come Out
The Sun Will Come Out
by Joanne Levy
Orca Book Publishers
Category: Middle Grade
Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick
Painfully shy twelve-year-old Bea Gelman can’t wait to attend her first
sleepaway summer camp—that is, until her BFF backs out and Bea has to go
to Camp Shalom alone. Bea’s social anxiety manifests itself in
unsightly hives, which embarrass her in front of her crush and elicit
merciless bullying from two mean girls in her cabin. When Bea sprains
her ankle and then apparently gets betrayed by her one new friend, she
decides to spend the summer in the infirmary. There, she meets Harry,
the camp directors’ 13-year-old son, who has the terminal condition
progeria. Harry’s strength and positivity inspire Bea to face her own
challenges and even to participate in the camp musical production of
Annie (hence, the book’s title).
Both humorous and heartwarming, The Sun Will Come Out offers a tightly
plotted arc that authentically portrays the emotional lives of preteens,
as well as the ups and downs of sleepaway camp and the power of seeking
silver linings. It explores mortality, disability and faith but is not
heavy-handed. The mean girls are a bit over the top, but this doesn’t
disrupt the story. I recommend this book for middle-grade readers,
especially girls.
The Sun Will Come Out is a contender for the Sydney Taylor Awards. The novel is filled with Jewish characters inhabiting a popular Jewish setting. Jewish rituals—including Jewish songs, blessings, Shabbat, and bat mitzvah talk—abound. The story explicitly illustrates the Jewish values of ometz lev (courage), kavod (honor, respect), and chesed (kindness) without being didactic. While there is plenty of drama that is not specifically Jewish, the plot is deftly filtered through a Jewish lens.
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