Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Sunshine is the true story of a young man finding joy amid sorrow at a summer camp for seriously-ill children.

Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me about Life, Death, and Hope by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Graphix (Scholastic), 2023, 240 pages.

Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15

Recommended for: ages 12-up

Sunshine and Sadness

“Just about everyone who asks about the experience seems to have the same knee-jerk reaction: It must have been so sad.” The “experience,” which changed the author-illustrator’s life, was the first time he worked at a camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses. After surviving a fraught childhood with his neglectful, heroin-addicted mom (see our review of Hey Kiddo), Jarrett found a stable home with his grandparents and now attends Holy Name High School. Every year, six students are selected to serve as volunteers at Camp Sunshine, a one-week program for critically-ill kids and their families. Jarrett is up for the experience, but doesn’t suspect how it will change him.

Each volunteer is assigned one camper and one family. Jarrett is disconcerted to be paired up with Diego, a 13-year-old with brain cancer and a bad attitude—how can they relate to each other? On the other hand, the family with whom he’s to sit and assist at mealtimes forms an instant bond through Eric, an insanely happy kid with leukemia. Eric’s bubbly good spirits contrast with Diego’s sullenness, but Jarrett manages to bond with both of them. Over an intense week, filled with challenges, small victories, heartfelt talks under the stars, and one turn inside the Chippy (camp mascot) costume, he finds unsuspected depths in himself and others, and even a meaning in suffering. As one of his chaperones observes, “The funny thing about being in service to others is that the math of it all doesn’t add up. No matter how much work and energy you put into these weeks, you get back way more than you ever put in.”

Suffering and Service

That’s a Christian concept, as is meaningful suffering, though Christ is never mentioned. The contrast with today’s ethic of avoiding pain at all costs is obvious. “Eric’s and Diego’s lives were short. But the ramifications of their time affected everyone who came in contact with them, sending ripples well beyond the months and years we had with them.” And not all the campers’ lives ended early; others survived and went on to live productive lives: “Their pain, endured during childhood, gave way to happy, wonderful adulthoods.” As Jarrett’s did. This memoir of his life-changing summer is touching and affirmative.

Considerations:

• Some language; a few uses of mild profanity, such as the d- word and h- word. Not nearly as much as in Hey Kiddo.
• In a late-night conversation, God’s will comes up, which one of the campers dismisses as a “crappy plan.” An honest opinion, but lacking context.

Overall Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reflection: Is anyone attending a Christian camp this summer? Camp director (and personal friend) Michael Guertin has tips for parents on how to prepare for the experience. See Bunk Beds, Backpacks, and Bibles. And a bonus: my son relates his own life-altering experience at Bible Camp.
• Review: Don’t let summer go by without getting in some Outdoor School: Hiking and Camping.
• Reviews: Two middle-grade novels about kids dealing with cancer: Unstoppable and Wink. And for teens, thoughts about The Fault in Our Stars.

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