Ways to Share Joy

by Renée Watson, Nina Mata (Illustrator)

Overview

Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson continues her charming young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit and sunshine.

Ryan Hart is caught in the middle. She has an older brother and a new baby sister, and she's in a friendship tug-of-war with two friends who both want to be her best best friend. How can Ryan think about being kind to a classmate who is relentless with his teasing? Or be her signature sunny self when her brother, Ray, pulls the ultimate prank?

But even when it seems like nothing is going her way, Ryan still looks for a way to see the bright side of things, refusing to let anything steal her joy, and finding ways to share it with everyone she meets.

Acclaim for Ways to Make Sunshine:
A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year | A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year | A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year | A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year | A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year | A WORLD Magazine Best Book of the Year | An Amazon Best Book of the Year

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547609093
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/27/2022
Series:	Ryan Hart Series , #3
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	89,654
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Renée Watson is the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor Book, and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of Piecing Me Together, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, and Betty Before X, co-written with Ilyasah Shabazz, as well as two acclaimed picture books: A Place Where Hurricanes Happen and Harlem's Little Blackbird, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. She is the founder of I, Too, Arts Collective, a nonprofit committed to nurturing underrepresented voices in the creative arts, and currently lives in New York City.
www.reneewatson.net; @reneewauthor

Editorial Reviews

2022-07-13
More adventures in the life of Ryan Hart.

Ryan is in the middle, “stuck” between her baby sister, Rose, who needs her help, and her older brother, Ray, who has more freedom and enjoys telling her what to do. Sometimes being in the middle gets hard, like when she’s not so sure about the family’s plan to surprise Grandma, who says she just wants to rest, with a birthday party or when she grapples with the difficulties of having two best friends. But with the help of her loving family and time spent on her favorite things, like baking, Ryan manages her child-sized troubles, including being teased about her name and for wearing clearance-sale shoes to school, trading pranks with her brother, and maintaining friendships with care. Inspired by her wise Grandma, she learns life lessons along the way, such as the difference between a “true friend” and a “best friend” and how a person can be full of joy even when they aren’t happy (“Joy is something deep, deep down”). Ryan’s African American family has fallen on somewhat hard times, but they find ways to share what they have. Watson immerses readers in the world of a girl on the cusp of middle school. Her book features a lovely cast of characters, delightfully relatable dilemmas and solutions, and a character with an authentic voice.

A tale of family and friendship that exudes pure joy. (Realistic fiction. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews

A lovely cast of characters, delightfully relatable dilemmas and solutions, and a character with an authentic voice. A tale of family and friendship that exudes pure joy.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Move over Ramona Quimby, Portland has another neighbor you have to meet!” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE

“Watson warmly weaves together slice-of-life moments that capture youthful doubt alongside moments of loss and joy, showing a tight-knit family navigating difficulties with plenty of courage and plenty of love.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE

“Beautifully rendered. . . . A strong start to a new middle-grade series.” —Booklist, starred review, on WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE

“A fresh beginning to a new chapter book series featuring a girl who can coax out sunshine from behind the darkest storm.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review, on WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE

“One can only imagine that Ramona Quimby would have a lot of fun cooking up adventures with this new girl in town.” —New York Times Book Review on WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE

“Middle graders who like realistic fiction will enjoy getting to know this earnest girl and her supportive family.” —School Library Connection on WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE

“The theme of loving family and friends even through difficult times will resonate with readers.” —School Library Journal on WAYS TO MAKE SUNSHINE

From the Publisher