Australian author Roberts debuts with a solid tale about the complexity of family and friendships. Sunny, a preteen, describes the summer “when everything started to change, and... change is not my strong point.” She is forced to become a member of “one of those modern blended families
” when her mother invites her boyfriend and his two children (“precooked siblings”) to move in; her best friend pulls back from her and starts making overtures to the much-loathed Buster Conroy; and Sunny's maternal grandmother, Carmelene, long estranged from Sunny's mother, sends her a Christmas present for the first time, with an invitation to visit. Sunny does her best to visualize everything from “seat 44K” of her imaginary airplane: “everything becomes minute and insignificant... and your life starts to change shape and feel like a toy life in a board game, and all your worries go away.” Keeping the tone light, Roberts raises potent questions about honesty and forgiveness; a neatness to the ending doesn't flatten the exuberance of Sunny's voice. Ages 9–14. (Feb.)
