Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me About Life, Death, and Hope

Honest, heartwarming, and heart wrenching

This graphic novel follows the author in his eye-opening experiences as a teen volunteer at a camp for kids with cancer. Shy and lacking confidence in everything except his artistic abilities, Jarrett doesn't think he has much to offer the camp residents. The author had a rough homelife (discussed in Hey Kiddo, another fantastic autobiographical read) with an absent father and a drug addict, incarcerated mother. He enters the camp feeling shame about his families’ problems, but he leaves with a found family and a renewed sense of gratitude—and a lifelong commitment to volunteerism. This is especially great for teens to read: a stage in life where life often feels overwhelming… This book really puts things in perspective—not in a preachy way, but a gratitude kind of way. Just beautiful! It left me feeling inspired to look for ways to volunteer and give back. Can’t wait for more from this author!