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pause_theframe's review against another edition
5.0
This is a brilliant story, with lots of different characters, personalities and bit of advice to really bring the tween/teen stories to life. It is part of a large series of stories, but this is my first of them, and definitely won’t be my last!
I love the variety of characters, both with their personalities and their hobbies, as it makes it very true to real life. I also liked that they had problems to overcome and worked to get through them, even if things didn’t always go perfectly to plan. It is a very good way for youngsters to learn and I liked the way the author laid those things out.
I read large portions of it to my daughter. She is much younger than the series calls for, but loves to listen to stories and it is one that has great morals to it.
Overall a great book and one I would recommend to anyone looking to buy for young readers.
I love the variety of characters, both with their personalities and their hobbies, as it makes it very true to real life. I also liked that they had problems to overcome and worked to get through them, even if things didn’t always go perfectly to plan. It is a very good way for youngsters to learn and I liked the way the author laid those things out.
I read large portions of it to my daughter. She is much younger than the series calls for, but loves to listen to stories and it is one that has great morals to it.
Overall a great book and one I would recommend to anyone looking to buy for young readers.
bookzonereviews's review against another edition
5.0
Author Tonya Duncan Ellis has hit a slam dunk with this series. I grew up reading Enid Blyton's books which are delightful and well-written, however, there was no cultural representation for me, which I was too innocent at the time to realize was an issue.
With this series, Tonya brings to life a main character with which I can identify. I love words, spelling them, rhyming them, reading them but I had to be "coaxed" at times.
What I loved the most was Sophie's compassion. Almost threw in a spoiler, but you will have to read the series yourself to find out.
After reading book one, I have to read all the others before I get to the Lemonade Stand which is the most recent. (Not that this is necessary, it's just a quirk of mine)
The series caters to readers aged 8 - 12 and book one, this one, is currently free.
With this series, Tonya brings to life a main character with which I can identify. I love words, spelling them, rhyming them, reading them but I had to be "coaxed" at times.
What I loved the most was Sophie's compassion. Almost threw in a spoiler, but you will have to read the series yourself to find out.
After reading book one, I have to read all the others before I get to the Lemonade Stand which is the most recent. (Not that this is necessary, it's just a quirk of mine)
The series caters to readers aged 8 - 12 and book one, this one, is currently free.
guatedina's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway
What a great series for younger readers! I enjoyed the story and the characters. Real life challenges in today's world.
What a great series for younger readers! I enjoyed the story and the characters. Real life challenges in today's world.
guatedina's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway
This is my second book about Sophie, her little brother and her friends. I like the stories and the characters- and excellent series for younger readers.
This is my second book about Sophie, her little brother and her friends. I like the stories and the characters- and excellent series for younger readers.
justjoel's review against another edition
2.0
I received my copy of The Gamer via a Goodreads giveaway, which has no effect on my review.
I read this book to fulfill the prompt of “A book by a local author” for the 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge.
I originally entered the drawing for this book, thinking it would be nice to win for my nieces and nephew. The book says it is geared toward ages 8-12, but I think it might be a more narrow focus toward the lower end of that range. Right now, I am positive my 12-year-old nephew will turn up his nose at it, and I think his 11-year-old sister will as well. There are illustrations within that are fairly plain, and something I would consider normal for books geared toward early readers.
This book deals with how a family chooses to celebrate Lent by giving up something that’s important (or a perceived negative) to them. Second-grader Cole Washington is encouraged to go without video games for 40 days, while his sister, Sophie, has it suggested that she stop complaining and being a tattletale.
I had a little issue with this, because Cole definitely needed an intervention to get his obsession under control, but his change revolved around an external change, whereas Sophie’s was more of a “Hey, change your personality because we don’t like who you are,” from her parents.
I’m sure that’s not the lesson the author intended to give, but I found it troubling.
Another issue I had was having to pause and research whether or not Baptists actually celebrate Lent (most do not—in fact, I know dozens of them, and nary a one celebrates Lent). Having it acknowledged in the book that this was something not all Baptists do would have been a nice touch.
By the end, I was a little confused by the moral message. Apparently it is okay for Sophie to tattle when it might keep her brother out of trouble, but he can be a conniving little so-and-so without a whole lot of repercussions.
Ultimately, all I got from this was that boys will be boys, and girls need to not complain unless it’s to keep a boy out of trouble.
2 out of 5 stars.
I read this book to fulfill the prompt of “A book by a local author” for the 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge.
I originally entered the drawing for this book, thinking it would be nice to win for my nieces and nephew. The book says it is geared toward ages 8-12, but I think it might be a more narrow focus toward the lower end of that range. Right now, I am positive my 12-year-old nephew will turn up his nose at it, and I think his 11-year-old sister will as well. There are illustrations within that are fairly plain, and something I would consider normal for books geared toward early readers.
This book deals with how a family chooses to celebrate Lent by giving up something that’s important (or a perceived negative) to them. Second-grader Cole Washington is encouraged to go without video games for 40 days, while his sister, Sophie, has it suggested that she stop complaining and being a tattletale.
I had a little issue with this, because Cole definitely needed an intervention to get his obsession under control, but his change revolved around an external change, whereas Sophie’s was more of a “Hey, change your personality because we don’t like who you are,” from her parents.
I’m sure that’s not the lesson the author intended to give, but I found it troubling.
Another issue I had was having to pause and research whether or not Baptists actually celebrate Lent (most do not—in fact, I know dozens of them, and nary a one celebrates Lent). Having it acknowledged in the book that this was something not all Baptists do would have been a nice touch.
By the end, I was a little confused by the moral message. Apparently it is okay for Sophie to tattle when it might keep her brother out of trouble, but he can be a conniving little so-and-so without a whole lot of repercussions.
Ultimately, all I got from this was that boys will be boys, and girls need to not complain unless it’s to keep a boy out of trouble.
2 out of 5 stars.
dee21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jeanniechambers's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first Sophie Washington book, and I’m eager to read more. I’d describe Sophie as an down to earth girl who’s about as real as one can be. The author does an excellent job of pulling you into the story, and building suspense along the way.
I particularly liked that Sophie and her friends got along so we’ll, and the realistic way she and her brother got along.
I have friends that have lived in Costa Rica, and know dentists that have done exactly what Sophie’s dad did, and all was accurate. I felt like I was listening to a family’s recount of their trip.
There’s a lot of adventure in this book, and I admit that three of those adventures had me flipping pages faster than a kid reading by flashlight underneath the covers.
I’ll recommend this book to my grandchildren and any others that like a well written children’s adventure story
aliciakindlereads's review against another edition
5.0
Cute story about a girl who tackles a bully, and shows compassion and love regarding the bully’s situation. Very quick read.
briarrose1021's review against another edition
5.0
Fifth-grader Sophie Washington has a secret, and the only people who know it are her friends Chloe and Marianna. There's a new girl in her grade at Xavier this year, Lanie; she seemed nice in the beginning, but lately, she's been bullying Sophie and her friends, taking their money and some of their belongings. Still, Sophie doesn't want to tell a teacher because she doesn't want to be seen as a snitch. After all, nobody trusts snitches, and they don't have any friends. Will Sophie be able to stop Lanie's bullying, or will she become a snitch?
This was a great book. Middle school is a tough age for students, and many middle school students have to deal with bullies. At the same time, there is an unspoken rule against tattling on other students, there are times when it becomes necessary. Ellis handled this balance, and the struggle of not knowing what to do, well.
Of course, the new school bully isn't the only thing that Sophie has going on. There's also a family fishing trip, new glasses for herself and Cole, and a strange noise coming from the attic! Sophie's got a lot going on in her life; grab yourself a copy of this book and read along to find out how Sophie deals with this problem!
This was a great book. Middle school is a tough age for students, and many middle school students have to deal with bullies. At the same time, there is an unspoken rule against tattling on other students, there are times when it becomes necessary. Ellis handled this balance, and the struggle of not knowing what to do, well.
Of course, the new school bully isn't the only thing that Sophie has going on. There's also a family fishing trip, new glasses for herself and Cole, and a strange noise coming from the attic! Sophie's got a lot going on in her life; grab yourself a copy of this book and read along to find out how Sophie deals with this problem!
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
This is the 7th Sophie Washington book, but it is the first one I've read (but won't be the last). Sophie, 11, is a middle school African American girl who lives in Houston, Texas with her parents and younger brother Cole, 8. Dad is a dentist, mom works as his office manager, and both kids attend a private school.
It's three weeks before Christmas and the kids are looking forward to Granny Washington's upcoming visit. But before that happens, a package filled with all of her favorites candies arrives for Sophie and is simply signed Your Secret Santa. But who could that be?
The next day at school, friends Mariama, Chloe, and Valentina think it must be from a boy at their school, but who? After school, another Secret Santa present arrives, this time it's a gingerbread house and Granny Washington arrives just in time to put it together.
Meantime, Cole, who loves to play basketball after school, comes in with a black eye. Two boys from down the street, Rhythm, 8 and his brother Blu, 7, Brown (yes, their dad is a jazz musician, but he's never around) have been picking on Cole and finally decked him. Sophie helps him cover his black and blue eye while promising to figure out what to do about the brothers and still trying to solve the Secret Santa mystery.
When Sophie discovers that Nathan, a school friend, has also been receiving Secret Santa gifts, she can at least rule him out of the suspects list. But when he mentions something he noticed in the last present he received, they wonder if that could be a lead to the real Secret Santa. Will they finally be able to solve the mystery?
Sophie Washington: Secret Santa is a great holiday chapter book for kids in the lower middle school grades. Sophie is a great role model, a girl who has a nice relationship with her brother, looking out for him and helping him when he needs it, but getting annoyed when his sweet tooth is aimed at her sweets. Sophie gets along with her parents and Granny Washington, but isn't spoiled. She also isn't perfect which makes her realistic.
As I said, Sophie Washington: Secret Santa is the seventh book in the Sophie Washington series and that I had not as yet read any others. So, you may be wondering, did it work as a stand alone story? Yes, it did, simply because anything you needed to know from prior stories was explained just enough to keep the reader from being confused and getting lost.
If kids enjoy this story, they might want to circle back to the beginning of the series and catch up on all of Sophie Washington's adventures, beginning with Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee. I should mention that these chapter books would make a great stocking stuffer, along with the Sophie Washington Super Fun Activity Book, filled with crosswords, word searches, coloring pages, mazes, writing prompts and more.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was gratefully received from the author and Penny Sansevieri at Author Marketing Experts
It's three weeks before Christmas and the kids are looking forward to Granny Washington's upcoming visit. But before that happens, a package filled with all of her favorites candies arrives for Sophie and is simply signed Your Secret Santa. But who could that be?
The next day at school, friends Mariama, Chloe, and Valentina think it must be from a boy at their school, but who? After school, another Secret Santa present arrives, this time it's a gingerbread house and Granny Washington arrives just in time to put it together.
Meantime, Cole, who loves to play basketball after school, comes in with a black eye. Two boys from down the street, Rhythm, 8 and his brother Blu, 7, Brown (yes, their dad is a jazz musician, but he's never around) have been picking on Cole and finally decked him. Sophie helps him cover his black and blue eye while promising to figure out what to do about the brothers and still trying to solve the Secret Santa mystery.
When Sophie discovers that Nathan, a school friend, has also been receiving Secret Santa gifts, she can at least rule him out of the suspects list. But when he mentions something he noticed in the last present he received, they wonder if that could be a lead to the real Secret Santa. Will they finally be able to solve the mystery?
Sophie Washington: Secret Santa is a great holiday chapter book for kids in the lower middle school grades. Sophie is a great role model, a girl who has a nice relationship with her brother, looking out for him and helping him when he needs it, but getting annoyed when his sweet tooth is aimed at her sweets. Sophie gets along with her parents and Granny Washington, but isn't spoiled. She also isn't perfect which makes her realistic.
As I said, Sophie Washington: Secret Santa is the seventh book in the Sophie Washington series and that I had not as yet read any others. So, you may be wondering, did it work as a stand alone story? Yes, it did, simply because anything you needed to know from prior stories was explained just enough to keep the reader from being confused and getting lost.
If kids enjoy this story, they might want to circle back to the beginning of the series and catch up on all of Sophie Washington's adventures, beginning with Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee. I should mention that these chapter books would make a great stocking stuffer, along with the Sophie Washington Super Fun Activity Book, filled with crosswords, word searches, coloring pages, mazes, writing prompts and more.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was gratefully received from the author and Penny Sansevieri at Author Marketing Experts