The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake

Twelve year old Sunny St. James doesn't feel very sunny - she just survived critical heart surgery and her adoptive mom is clearly hiding something about her birth mother. Now that it's summer, Sunny only wants to get lost in first kisses and reoccurring dreams about a mermaid that looks just like herself. But her world only tumbles further upside-down when she not only meets this dreamy mermaid for real, but her old best friend who remains emotionally and physically distant, and new best friend Quinn who throws a serious monkey wrench into her "first kiss" plans. The themes Sunny explores in this first person narrative - loss, family, and even LGBTQIA issues and discovery - are not unique even in the Middle Grade space, but Sunny's voice and Herring Blake's masterful utilization of this beach setting transcends mere exploration, delivering a coming of age story ambitiously beautiful for peer readers and heartrendingly nostalgic for older fans. Herring Blake uses Sunny's voice to not simply talk about LGBTQIA issues or family, but illustrate that heartache, new and old love and self-discovery are wondrous and enriching for everyone. Herring Blake pens a heady love letter to emerging adulthood and emotions that will satisfy fans from Louis Sachar to John Green to Erin Morgenstern.