But as he practices for this new event, can he let go of everything that’s been eating him up inside? Sunny discovers a track event that encompasses the hard beats of hip-hop, the precision of ballet, and the showmanship of dance as a whole: the discus throw. With the growing conflict with his father, Sunny needs his friends on the track team more than ever.

When Sunny stops running mid-race one day, he puts forth his first step into reclaiming his own life and making amends with the tragedy of his mother’s death. Actually, he hates running…but Sunny runs because it seems like the only thing Sunny can do right in his dad’s eyes is to win first place ribbons running the mile, just like his mom did. Sunny is the number one mile-running champ at every track meet, but he doesn’t care about that. The only time Sunny feels like he is doing something right is when he wins races. To make matters worse, Darryl (his dad, who makes Sunny call him by his first name) acts like everything Sunny does is wrong. Then, in a stroke of genius only Jason Reynolds can conceive, Sunny discovers a track event that encompasses the hard beats of hip-hop, the precision of ballet, and the showmanship of dance as a whole: the discus throw.Sunny is a murderer. But you also can't be on a track team and dance. But you can't be on a track team and not run. With his relationship with his dad now worse than ever, the last thing Sunny wants to do is leave the other newbies-his only friends-behind. But Sunny doesn't like running, never has. It seems the only thing Sunny can do right in his dad's eyes is win first place ribbons running the mile, just like his mom did. His mother died giving birth to him, and based on how Sunny's dad treats him-ignoring him, making Sunny call him Darryl, never 'Dad'-it's no wonder Sunny thinks he's to blame. Or at least he thinks of himself that way. But his life hasn't always been sun beamy-bright. Always ready with a goofy smile and something nice to say, Sunny is the chillest dude on the Defenders team. Sunny is the main character in this novel, the third of four books in Jason Reynold's electrifying middle grade series. They all have a lot to lose, but they all have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team-a team that could take them to the state championships. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds, with personalities that are explosive when they clash. Sunny tries to shine despite his troubled past in this third novel in the critically acclaimed Track series from National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds.

Sunny by jason reynolds