For example, I’ve never been to Portland, but Watson shows us her hometown with great details such as Tillamook Marionberry Pie ice cream and bird watching on the Columbia River. These moments shine so well because they’re one of many windows into Ryan’s life and what makes her who she is. Ryan’s Blackness is an important part of her identity, but it is only a part. Still, the story shines best when we see her navigate some of the most classic experiences of African American childhood - the pressure of the Easter Sunday speech/scripture recital, the ongoing lesson of taking pride in your name, and of course (for Black girls in particular), the tightrope of straightened hair and what it means to be beautiful.

It’s clear that Ryan and her brother are encouraged to be their full selves, share their true thoughts, and explore all interests they have, as long as they do so in good faith. And for Black children in particular, there are a lot of options that seem aimed at “defying stereotypes,” encouraging young Black readers to shun sports and entertainment in favor of academics, or behave quietly and modestly in public. There are a lot of options for young people to read about kids who are mostly mischievous, or meek, or super-heroic, or extra-smart.

It is important for young readers to meet, relate to, and enjoy reading about an ordinary Black girl.

Put simply, Ryan is a girl-next-door, in the vein of Ramona Quimby and Pippi Longstocking. Because everyone deserves to have something in their bellies other than not-that-hot soup and rock-hard bread.” Ryan’s family and friends celebrate and nurture her strengths - her helpfulness, problem-solving skills, and especially her flair for cooking. In fact, Ryan is clearly someone with strong character we see her stand up for herself often, and she aspires to become a Rose Festival Princess in the city parade so she can tell the mayor to start a program serving “gourmet meals for. Watson doesn’t write any of this as character flaws or heavy-handed hardships. Ryan also doesn’t consider herself a star student. She’s not exactly straight-laced - we see her disobey her mother’s orders, gossip about another girl in solidarity with her best friend, and play a retaliatory prank on her brother without remorse. Watson does a great job with Ryan’s voice, so we learn a lot about Ryan in her own words. With Ways to Make Sunshine, Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Renée Watson brings us a confident, bright, aspiring chef named Ryan Hart, an African American girl “with a name that a lot of boys have.” When we meet Ryan she is in the fourth grade and lives with her mother, father, and older brother in Portland, Oregon.

Ways to make sunshine