In the summer before fifth grade, Ryan Hart continues to grow through changes and challenges, such as waiting for a new baby sister to be born, a summer camp trip, and more. - (Baker & Taylor)

Grow and glow with Ryan Hart! 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 loves her family and friends. She's looking forward to summer vacation, spending time with loved ones, and her first trip to sleepaway camp! But when an unexpected camper shows up, Ryan finds it's hard to share your best friend and harder to be a friend to someone who isn't a good friend to you. She's also waiting for her new sister to be born-and hoping the baby doesn't ruin everything. The Hart family is experiencing a lot of changes, and Ryan needs to grow her patience in many ways, find ways to share the love, meet new challenges, and grow into the leader her mom and dad named her to be. This summer and the start of fifth grade just might give Ryan the chance to show how she grows and glows!

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

Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her novel, Piecing Me Together, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books include Ways to Make Sunshine, Ways to Grow Love, Some Places More Than Others, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, cowritten with Ilyasah Shabazz, Watch Us Rise, cowritten with Ellen Hagan, and Love Is a Revolution, 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. Renée splits her time between Portland, Oregon and New York City.

www.reneewatson.net; @reneewauthor (Twitter)

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Ryan Hart returns in this charming sequel to Ways to Make Sunshine (2020), which begins the summer before she starts fifth grade. Many of her favorite summer activities, like going to the library with her mother and riding rides at the amusement park as a family, are on hold, or at least modified, because Mrs. Hart is pregnant and on bed rest. On the upside, Ryan is finally old enough to attend overnight church camp with her brother and best friends, Kiki and Amanda, though Ryan is not pleased to learn that Amanda's mean friend Red will be sharing their cabin. Prank wars and team-building exercises unfold alongside bible study, positively portraying the important role faith communities hold in many children's lives. Ryan feels young for a fifth grader, due largely to the fact that she's the baby of her family—for most of the story anyway. She nonetheless flexes her independence by cooking for her family and helping to prepare for the new baby's arrival. Ryan's grandmother also lends them a hand, and one particularly tender scene shows Ryan asking for advice as her grandmother braids her hair before bed. These realistic snapshots of love in action are peppered with funny mishaps and small mistakes, all of which add up to an uplifting, reassuring read.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Ways to Make Sunshine was released to great acclaim, and Watson's virtual author tour will act like Miracle Gro on her sizeable fan base. Grades 3-6. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Ryan Hart (Ways to Make Sunshine, rev. 3/20) is back, now a rising fifth grader and ready for summer adventures. Despite obstacles -- her father works nights, her mother is pregnant and can't do as much with her, older brother Ray is as annoying as ever -- she still manages to have fun. She continues to bring her own style and wit to each day, whether tackling her library's summer reading challenge or mediating a family argument (the solution involving an excessive amount of pickle juice). As she prepares for her first time at an overnight camp, Ryan, who is Black, is apprehensive about being reunited with Red, a white acquaintance who once made fun of her hair. Her grandmother encourages Ryan to be a rose -- use her voice to protect her beauty, without being unkind; when she is tested, it will take her grandmother's words and the story of the Good Samaritan for her to remember who she is. An expert at creating complex characters, Watson ensures that no one will be two-dimensional. While Ryan is an optimist, she also expresses concern over the family's finances, the health of her unborn sister, and poverty in her community; big brother Ray has his times of generosity; and even Red gets a moment of revelation. With each chapter serving as its own short story, this second installment about Ryan is every bit as enjoyable as the first. Copyright 2023 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Ryan Hart (Ways to Make Sunshine, rev. 3/20) is back, now a rising fifth grader and ready for summer adventures. Despite obstacles -- her father works nights, her mother is pregnant and can't do as much with her, older brother Ray is as annoying as ever -- she still manages to have fun. She continues to bring her own style and wit to each day, whether tackling her library's summer reading challenge or mediating a family argument (the solution involving an excessive amount of pickle juice). As she prepares for her first time at an overnight camp, Ryan, who is Black, is apprehensive about being reunited with Red, a white acquaintance who once made fun of her hair. Her grandmother encourages Ryan to "be a rose" -- use her voice to protect her beauty, without being unkind; when she is tested, it will take her grandmother's words and the story of the Good Samaritan for her to remember who she is. An expert at creating complex characters, Watson ensures that no one will be two-dimensional. While Ryan is an optimist, she also expresses concern over the family's finances, the health of her unborn sister, and poverty in her community; big brother Ray has his times of generosity; and even Red gets a moment of revelation. With each chapter serving as its own short story, this second installment about Ryan is every bit as enjoyable as the first. Eboni Njoku May/June 2021 p.145 Copyright 2021 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A new baby coming means Ryan has lots of opportunities to grow love. Ryan has so much to look forward to this summerâ€"she is going to be a big sister, and she finally gets to go to church camp! But new adventures bring challenges, too. Ryan feels like the baby is taking forever to arrive, and with Mom on bed rest, she isn’t able to participate in the family’s typical summer activities. Ryan’s Dad is still working the late shift, which means he gets home and goes to bed when she and her older brother, Ray, are waking up, so their quality daddy-daughter time is limited to one day a week. When the time for camp finally arrives, Ryan is so worried about bugs, ghosts, and sharing a cabin that she wonders if she should go at all. Watson’s heroine is smart and courageous, bringing her optimistic attitude to any challenge she faces. Hard topics like family finances and complex relationships with friends are discussed in an age-appropriate way. Watson continues to excel at crafting a sense of place; she transports readers to Portland, Oregon, with an attention to detail that can only come from someone who has loved that city. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and occasional illustrations by Mata spotlight their joy and make this book shine. The second installment in this spirited series is a hit. (Fiction. 8-10) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 3–5—This summer is shaping up to be different than any other summer, and Ryan Hart isn't sure how she feels about that. She always looks forward to her summer traditions, like checking out an armful of books from the library with her mom, and her family's annual trip to the Oaks Park amusement park—but nothing is quite the same now that Ryan's mom is expecting a new baby and has to take things easy. Still, there are some exciting things for Ryan to look forward to, like her first chance to go to sleepaway church camp with her two best friends, KiKi and Amanda. And of course Ryan can't wait to meet her new baby sister. Not everything goes as planned, but nevertheless Ryan finds that she is bursting with summer memories by the time school begins in September. This second installment in the "Ryan Hart" series is both relatable and inspirational. A young optimistic Black girl, Watson's irresistible Ryan models how to navigate a changing world with resilience, kindness, and love, all of which are reflected in Mata's delightful illustrations. Readers who are likewise awaiting a new sibling, or who are simply learning to adjust to an ever-changing world, will be heartened by Ryan's openness to making new memories and creating new traditions. VERDICT A fabulous first purchase that celebrates the awesome power of love, kindness, and being true to oneself.—Dana West, Nathan Hale H.S., Seattle