Sunny-Side Up

It's summer vacation and school's out but Richard, Matthew and a handful of other kids have summer school. Richard is depressed. Mrs. Paris, his reading teacher gives him good advice on how to handle changes and things he doesn't like. Then Richard's friend Matthew says that he is moving to Ohio. Matthew doesn't want to go and Richard fixes up a place for Matthew to live in his garage. It's a good book with a non-saccarine ending. There are a lot of good messages to the readers, such as it is okay to cry. That's the best advice! I think I cried when I read this about Richard's best buddy Matthew moving away and although it seems an un-satisfying ending to this book, be sure to check out the other Polk Street books, and there are two books about Matthew's adventures in his new town, Deposit, Ohio ("Matthew Jackson Meets The Wall" and "Shark In School"--both delightful!) Beast and Matthew stay in touch even across time and distance!!