Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by academianut
Sophie Washington: Things You Didn't Know About Sophie by Tonya Duncan Ellis
4.0
Fun and relatable upper elementary book
Things you didn't know about Sophie by Tonya Duncan Ellis: A refreshing everyday-life story, this chapter book follows the experience of 6th grader Sophie, who lives in the suburbs with her close family - mom, dad, and younger brother. Though Sophie and her brother argue and banter, the family is very close, holding weekly board game nights and supporting each other. But at school, Sophie faces some problems, which make their way home as well. Her crush on a classmate leads her to pretend to love all of his passions, rather than her real interests, and when her peers all have smartphones and she doesn't, she lies about having one to fit in. Even through her discomfort about all this, she feels she must show her friends that she has a phone - so she decides to "borrow" her younger neighbor's phone, but gets it confiscated in class, leading to lots of drama and parental disappointment when the neighbor needs it back and the truth finally comes out. Though Sophie is upset, she's also relieved at not having to keep track of all the lies anymore, but is anxious, believing her friends will no longer like her once they find out the truth. As it turns out, though, many of her friends have been fibbing to fit in too, and she and her friends all gain a little bit more understanding of each other. Though the story ends a bit abruptly on this note (I would have liked to have seen more), the book is fun, compelling, and relatable to kids, with a good message. I also really enjoyed the illustrations, which are line drawings but still beautifully convey the characters' Black ethnicity.
Things you didn't know about Sophie by Tonya Duncan Ellis: A refreshing everyday-life story, this chapter book follows the experience of 6th grader Sophie, who lives in the suburbs with her close family - mom, dad, and younger brother. Though Sophie and her brother argue and banter, the family is very close, holding weekly board game nights and supporting each other. But at school, Sophie faces some problems, which make their way home as well. Her crush on a classmate leads her to pretend to love all of his passions, rather than her real interests, and when her peers all have smartphones and she doesn't, she lies about having one to fit in. Even through her discomfort about all this, she feels she must show her friends that she has a phone - so she decides to "borrow" her younger neighbor's phone, but gets it confiscated in class, leading to lots of drama and parental disappointment when the neighbor needs it back and the truth finally comes out. Though Sophie is upset, she's also relieved at not having to keep track of all the lies anymore, but is anxious, believing her friends will no longer like her once they find out the truth. As it turns out, though, many of her friends have been fibbing to fit in too, and she and her friends all gain a little bit more understanding of each other. Though the story ends a bit abruptly on this note (I would have liked to have seen more), the book is fun, compelling, and relatable to kids, with a good message. I also really enjoyed the illustrations, which are line drawings but still beautifully convey the characters' Black ethnicity.