by
Tonya Duncan Ellis
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GENRE: Middle Grade
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BLURB:
Sophie
and Chloe have been best friends since they met in kindergarten. They get along
like chips and salsa and do everything together from playing tennis to cheering
on the school cheer squad. Lately, Chloe’s been leaving Sophie out, and she
doesn’t know why. Sophie does everything she can to make her best friend happy,
but it’s not working. Then Chloe asks Sophie to fib to a teacher to help her out
and she learns the true meaning of friendship.
This is the tenth book
in the Readers' Favorite five star rated Sophie Washington book series that
includes:
Sophie Washington:Queen of the Bee (Book 1)
Sophie Washington: The Snitch (Book 2)
Sophie Washington: The Gamer (Book 4)
Sophie Washington:Hurricane (Book 5)
Sophie Washington:Mission Costa Rica (Book 6)
Sophie Washington:Secret Santa (Book 7)
Sophie Washington: Code One (Book 8)
Sophie Washington:Mismatch (Book 9)
Sophie Washington: My BFF (Book 10)
Kids Ages 8-12
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EXCERPT
The only reason I’m not at the carnival games is because I
want to spend time with my BFF, Chloe. We’ve been friends since we shared a
swing in kindergarten, and we do everything together, like cheer for our school
and play on the tennis team. She’s taller and noisier than I am, but somehow,
we belong together, like chips and salsa.
Chloe isn’t in any of my classes this year. During free
periods she gets special tutoring for her dyslexia. Don’t ask me what dyslexia
means exactly, but she’s not so great at spelling and takes twice as long as
the rest of us to do her school work.
Chloe’s been talking about riding the Killer Whale since we
were too short to be allowed on roller coasters. I’d do anything for my best
friend, and I didn’t want to look like a chicken, so I faced my fear.
Looking back, I still can’t believe I got in line when Chloe
begged. The Killer Whale is a perfect name for that ride. Carts race up and
down the grayish blue rails like they’re on a speed track, and then drop down
huge hills.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Toby, the cutest boy in the
sixth grade, stood in front of us in line with his mouth open. “Forget about
the baby rides; I want to ride this one the whole time we’re here.”
“This is so cool!” Nathan, Toby’s buddy for the field trip,
gave him a high five. “and since there are two tracks, we shouldn’t have to
wait long to get on.”
The crowded line came to a standstill and we continued to
talk.
“Hey, Sophie, did you start that poetry assignment for
English class?” Toby edged around Chloe. “Can you help me with it at school
tomorrow? I need to get an A or B to raise my grade.”
“You read the poem yet?” said Nathan, pausing the video game
he was playing on his phone and also looking my way. “I can’t figure it
out.”
“Why didn’t you ask me what I think about the poem?” asked
Chloe with a frown.
“Well, ah, I didn’t think you were doing the same work,”
said Toby.
Her lips curled, and I braced myself.
Chloe is super sweet most of the time, but act like she’s
not as smart as someone else, and she changes from cuddly kitten to ferocious
tiger.
“As a matter of fact, I am doing the same work,” she said,
wrapping her arms around her chest. “Just because I go to a tutor sometimes
doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on. I still have the same English
assignments as you guys.”
“I don’t think he meant that, Chloe,” I said.
“Yeah, yeah, everybody knows you’re the spelling champion,
while I’m the sixth-grade dummy,” said Chloe.
“Now wait a minute…” I said.
Ahhhhh!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Tonya Duncan
Ellis is the author of the Amazon bestselling, Readers' Favorite "Five
Star" rated, Sophie Washington children's books series, geared toward
readers ages 8 to 12, and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators (SCBWI). She has received awards for literary excellence, worked
as a journalist and freelance magazine writer, and is a graduate of Centre
College of Kentucky and Washington University in St. Louis.
The Sophie
Washington book series recounts the adventures of a precocious African American
preteen from Houston, TX and her diverse group of friends. Each funny and
heartwarming story teaches lessons about friendship, responsibility,
truthfulness and perseverance. Books in the series include Queen of the Bee,
The Snitch, Things You Didn't Know About Sophie, The Gamer, Hurricane, Mission:
Costa Rica,
Secret Santa,
Code One and Mismatch.
Tonya loves to
travel and has visited 49 American states and three continents, but some of her
best journeys have been between the pages of a novel. As a girl she could
always be found with a book in her hand, and reading is still one of her
favorite hobbies. When she's not reading or writing, the author likes to ride
her bike, swim, and spend time with her husband and three children. She lives
in Missouri City, TX.
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My review:
4.25 stars
Sophie Washington: My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis continues
the saga of young Sophie as she deals with peer pressure and expectations of
adults. When her best friend Chloe starts acting like she doesn’t value their
friendship any longer, Sophie must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to
keep her friend in her her life.
The stories in this children’s series are always a wonderful
combination of entertainment and education. I enjoy accompanying Sophie through
her adventures that touch on very realistic challenges while telling a fun
story. Although dyslexia is an element of the tale, angst, jealousy, and peer
pressure are also significant aspects as Sophie determines what she is willing
to do to fit in. I love that these characters make mistakes but learn from them
and continue to grow, and I’m delighted by the way Sophie’s parents approach
their children’s problems.
I think this is a great book for stimulating a discussion
about such things as dyslexia, plagiarism, peer pressure, and consequences for
one’s actions. I always look forward to reading about Sophie’s adventures, and
this story was a great addition to a lovely series.
A copy was provided for review
