Title: Sonny & Tess
Author and illustrator: Nova Weetman
Publisher: UQP
Publication date: July 2025
Themes: Relationships, romance, family dynamics, friendship, parental expectations, change
Comprehensive teachers’ notes are available on the UQP website here
Sonny & Tess by Nova Weetman and published by UQP is an uplifting, charming and absorbing story that readers 11+ will devour and escape into. It is about relationships and a first crush, with respect and kindness at the cornerstone of a gentle blossoming romance. From its relatable characters to its captivating page turning plot, Nova Weetman again delivers in spades. She superbly captures the power of friendship as well as the innocence, intense emotions, thrill, confusion, excitement and vulnerability of a first romance in an accessible and age-appropriate way.
Sonny (whose real name is Samson) is thirteen, his mother has left the family home, has remarried and is living in the UK. His Dad, a geologist, immerses himself in work. He often travels to remote sites with Sonny. Constant moving has seen Sonny experience lots of new beginnings at different schools. The stability in his life comes in the form of his Uncle Frank (his dad’s brother) who loves music and has a strong relationship with Sonny and his wife, Aunt Marion. They live above the fish and chip shop that Frank manages. Marion is wise, intuitive, kind, caring and knows exactly how to tread around Sonny. She is not intrusive, has open and honest communication with him, she is supportive and gentle in her guidance and validates his feelings.
Tess, short for Theresa, is in her first year of high school and is often asked by her parents to babysit her younger twin siblings. Her parents both work and often leave her in charge of preparing meals for her younger brothers and completing chores to help with the running of the home. Tess wants more than anything some independence and to spend time with her friends, but this is compromised because of the demands her parents put on her. She wants a part time job to earn her own money and serendipitously notices a sign on the local fish and chip shop seeking applications for a part time job. She wins the job and a piece of Sonny’s heart!
Sonny and Tess are navigating complex family situations. As the story evolves these are constructively resolved via communication and compromise. The adults listen to their children and take responsibility to ensure positive outcomes.
Sonny and Tess, two nuanced characters, quite literally crash into each other and this sees a friendship blossom. The contemporary dual narrative takes the reader on a journey, exploring Sonny and Tess’s vulnerabilities and hopes as they share their feelings about each other. They consider whether the other feels the same way and they wonder if their feelings will be reciprocated. They each have a best friend that not only is a confidante, but their biggest cheer leader. The characters are not dependent on devices and their relationships are strengthened through face-to-face interactions, conversations, hanging out with each other and in the case of Sonny and Tess working at the fish and chip shop together.
Readers will be swept up in this charming and memorable coming of age story with its authentic and relatable characters. It will serve as a mirror to many readers as they see their lives, challenges, insecurities and hopes reflected in the story. It would be a perfect book to share in a book club in upper primary or lower secondary years and the perfect complement to coming together to discuss this book would be hot salty chips!