The Sunshine State (SS) books are a lesser-known part of the Florida education system, mostly seen in libraries and elementary and middle school classrooms. I was always a voracious reader growing up, putting down books twice the size of what my classmates were reading. So, my teachers turned to me to talk about the SS books and what I could do if I read all 15 of them.
Many districts across the country do something called Battle of the Books, which requires students to read all 15 Sunshine State books and then compete against other schools to answer questions about the books. These questions could range anywhere from placing a line of dialogue with the book it belongs to, to remembering the name of a secondary or even tertiary character that played a small part in the story.
I competed twice, once in elementary school and then again in middle school. Even before that, my teachers would offer little in-class prizes for just reading five of the books. There are so many Sunshine State books I’ve read or had read to me, but there are some that have stuck with me that I still think about sometimes. My favorite year was easily the 2013-2014 set of books, but there are outliers from other years that I really enjoyed.
The candymakers by wendy mass
The Candymakers is set in an imaginary world with the most interesting and scientifically impossible forms of candy. Four children, Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip, are chosen to compete to create the most delicious new candy in the entire country, but each of them is keeping secrets of their own.
This was the first book I remember reading that had more than one or two points of view, as all four characters had their own chapters in their own voices. This was also one of the first books I read that had a surprise twist at the end and more drama than I was used to. I still think about the candy harmonica that could make music to this day.
Janitors by tyler whitesides
Janitors is set in an elementary school, where a boy named Spencer Zumbro washes his face with the wrong soap and starts to see little creatures that creep through the hallways and make all the kids tired and unmotivated to learn. He tells another sixth grader named Daisy, nicknamed Gullible Gates, about it and she believes him before she uses the soap. When they see a janitor vacuum up one of the monsters, they learn about the factions of janitors with superpowers who fight the creatures.
Fun fact: apparently the author actually worked as an elementary school janitor to put himself through college! This book scared me a little when I read it, but I really liked the premise and the mystery.
Tuesdays at the castle by jessica day george
Tuesdays at the Castle is also set in an imaginary world of princesses, kings, and queens. The main character is Princess Celie, and her favorite day is Tuesday because every Tuesday, the castle she and her family live in adds something new. Sometimes it’s a new room or a turret or a whole new wing. No one else in her family cares as much as Celie does, she’s the only person to actively map out the castle and all its new parts. When the King and Queen are ambushed and the castle is taken, only Celie and her knowledge of the castle can save the day.
I would 100 percent read this book again, and probably will soon. I swear I had dreams about moving castles for days after I read this book, and the ending was just the right kind of dramatic for me (at such a young age).
THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: THE SHADOWS BY JACQUELINE WEST
In The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows, Olive and her parents move into an old Victorian mansion whose original owner has just died. The walls are covered in strange, old paintings that give Olive an unsettled feeling when she looks at them, and sometimes seem to move a little. She finds an old pair of spectacles that allow her to travel into the paintings where, with the help of three talking cats, she discovers a dark and dangerous power that wants her and her family gone and is willing to do anything to make that happen.
This book scared me when I first read it. It was so good that I went on to read more of the series, but it really freaked me out. I actually have this book downloaded on my reading app right now, just waiting until I have some free time to get to it.
While I may not have enjoyed some of the Sunshine State books I’ve read as much as the others, they are all good books that tell fun stories and sometimes teach valuable lessons. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those years in elementary and middle school when the magic in these books felt real, but I think the fact that I still carry them with me to this day means some of the magic lives on.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!