The Wonders of the Peculiar Parasol by Mark M.Even

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mark M. Even will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

My favorite books were comic books! While the nuns at my grade school looked down on me reading these and forced me to pick other books from the annual “book fair”, it was the comic books that stuck with me. When I was younger, my favorite was the DC comic called The Legion of Super-Heroes. This comic was set far in the future and “humans” from all over the galaxy would try to get accepted into the Legion to protect the galaxy from evil and disasters. The Legion was made up of “teens” – Superboy was one of them (but he only occasionally appeared because he had to go to the future to be with them). Each member had a unique power, mostly because of their alien DNA. Each comic was a self-contained story.

As I got older, I graduated to the Marvel comics –where the story/plot ran across many issues (sometimes as many as 10 or 12). The epic stories even from the 1970s are now often combined into a “graphic novel” available today, allowing the reader to read the entire story within one book. My favorites included The Avengers, the X-Men, and The Defenders.

All of these issues are “team” oriented, portraying both the challenges of people having to work together as well as their successes. And with the Marvel storytelling, often their failures as well. And this is what I liked the most --- a recounting of teamwork and personalities in both a visual and story-telling format.

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

As you can see from above, super-powered beings are one of my favorite topics. Flight, super-strength, invulnerability, invisibility, magic, etc. Why would anyone pick just ONE of these? My first inclination would be to pick invisibility – to be the “fly on the wall” and able to see or hear things that one would never get to see or hear because you would either be kept out of the room or those things wouldn’t happen if you were there. BUT – if I had to pick, I would pick flight! To be able to fly through the air with the freedom of going anywhere with no barriers would be so awesome.

Favorite TV show from your childhood?

Staying with the super-hero theme, The Adventures of Superman and Batman would be tied for 2nd. But my all-time favorite would be Star Trek. And I’ve also enjoyed all of the Star Trek franchise throughout the years, including the current show called Star Trek: Discovery.

Ideal summer vacation.

An African Safari. My wife and I (along with 2 other couples we know) actually did this about 8 years ago. Best trip I’ve ever had and one I hope to do again. To see the expanses of African with all of the unique and beautiful wildlife is amazing. To hear a herd of cape buffalo snorting just outside your tent is exhilarating. To watch a group of lions hunt and kill a warthog is once in a lifetime!

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I’d first pay off all of my kids’ house mortgages. Then I’d take my kids, their spouses, and my grandchildren on a worldwide trip, including an African safari. Anything left after that, since I can’t save it, I’d give to charity.

Who was your teenaged crush? Why?

I’ll assume this question refers to a celebrity or fantasy, so I won’t answer my wife (who was my high school sweetheart). Sophia Loren. And, even though she is currently 85, she is still absolutely gorgeous!

The Wonders of the Peculiar Parasol is an outstanding fantasy that shows how Mandy discovers her magic under strange circumstances. It focuses on how Mandy will get home and how she'll discover her real purpose in coming to this land, providing the basics of how this new world operates in a manner that elementary-level readers can readily understand: "The parasol and the dragonstone work together to sense the presence, or lack of presence, of the inner magic of the person holding the parasol. The dragonstone uses the infinite power of the sun to tap or channel or access that magic. And one way it does that is to transport an individual to Storyworld.”

As Mandy harbors a secret, puzzles out how to use the dragonstone, and interacts with her family while battling lizards and building an army, young readers will relish the blend of real-world family dilemmas and fantasy world encounters. (D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review)

Read an Excerpt:

Mickey smiled at everyone and said, “OK! Here we go!” and started twirling the parasol. Instantly the dragonstone flashed a bright purple light, and Mickey was frozen still—with a big grin on his face.

After about ten minutes, during which time the parents, as they always did, checked their watches about a hundred times, Mickey popped back to life and said, “Neato!”

Everyone else applauded and clamored for his story. Not one to easily cede being the center of attention, Mickey entertained everyone with a story of being a high-performance race car driver in a sort of “Olympics of Racing.”

“It was amazing!” he said. “I got to be in several different races in one day. One event was drag racing. And I got to drive a big purple car with extra-large black rear tires, a tiny steering wheel, a jet engine—and a parachute to stop the car at the end of each race. Totally cool!

“Then I was also in an Indy-style race of one hundred laps around a huge red brick track. Then I did an off-road endurance race in a cool purple dune buggy with oversize tires with ‘MICKEY’ in white letters six inches high on each tire. I won two of three races with my buggy!” He rolled his eyes and continued, “I only lost once to a yellow dune buggy in the cool endurance race event. And you know what? That yellow dune buggy was driven by a girl I thought I knew. She was wearing a red and yellow jacket and a silver helmet with blue and green lightning symbols on it. She looked so… familiar!”

About the Author:I retired from almost 40 years working for IBM in Mar, 2017. I’ve been married for 43 years to my wife, Joyce and have 3 children and 8 grand-children. I enjoy golfing, fishing, bird-watching and travel.

Shortly after retiring from IBM in 2017, I was at a small-town celebration in northern Wisconsin and noticed that a number of the little vendor booths were people selling children’s books that they created and self-published. I looked at these and told myself that I could write something like that. And I did, but these were the type of books that were targeted at small kids and needed vibrant pictures and artwork.

In the spring of 2018, I was visiting my niece and her family, and she told me of this wonderful idea for a story for a children’s book and after talking with her about it, we agreed to collaborate and I took on the task of writing the story. After many iterations, The Wonders of the Peculiar Parasol became a reality.

Website: http://www.dragonstonestories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Even-Books-106679040686753/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19679689.Mark_M_Even

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Wonders-Peculiar-Parasol-Dragonstone-Story/dp/0988904829

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Our Friendship Matters by Kimberley Jones

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kimberley B. Jones will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Leah and Sasha are 17-year-old friends who had been close to one another since elementary school, but as the summer approaches they find their friendship tested in ways they never anticipated.

Following graduation, Sasha’s privileged life and perception of the world around her is suddenly altered when an old childhood friend persuades her to join in a campaign against an injustice after his best friend is killed by a cop.

But joining the protest has unforeseen consequences for Sasha, distancing her from Leah, who becomes jealous of Sasha’s new friends and finds herself on the opposing side, protesting alongside her group of new white friends.

As the tension mounts between the two bitterly opposed factions, a tragedy strikes and threatens to make Sasha and Leah enemies. Can they find a way to resolve their differences, putting them to the side and learn to accept each other’s viewpoints? Or is their long friendship finished for good?

Read an Excerpt

As I pulled up into Ricardo’s driveway, Victoria and two other girls who attended Eastview were standing there holding signs that said, “Justice for Mitchell.” I was sweating more than ever. Scared of both the police and the girls I didn’t even know who were going to be getting into my car.

“I didn’t know you were doing signs. I would’ve made me one.”

Ricardo and some guys were busy placing things in the car's trunk.

“Are you okay? The time is now,” said Ricardo.

“I’m ready but a little nervous, too.”

“You shouldn’t be nervous. All we are going to do is go downtown and making a statement that we want justice. Once we are done, we’ll come back home. I won’t let anything happen to you but, if something breaks out, I need you to look for Victoria and get in your car and go home. And if something happens to me, I need you to look for Victoria then go to my house and warn my peeps.”

As the girls got into my car, Victoria told me I could march, and chant the same thing they were planning on saying.

I was missing Leah. This could have been a positive moment that we could’ve shared together. I was still hoping she would come to her senses and realize that our fight from our disagreement was all crazy.

We arrived downtown, and I parked in the garage.

“Why didn’t you park on the streets?” Victoria said.

“My parents always told me to park in the garage so nothing would happen to my car.”

She laughed at me and said, “Well, you are driving a Mercedes. I would do the same if I had an expensive car.”

About the Author:

Kimberley is a professional early childhood educator. She was born in the small town of Saint George, South Carolina, on September 12, 1982. Graduated from Woodland High School in 2000, Benedict College in 2004 with B.S., Child & Family Development, and from Ashford University in 2013 with a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

After receiving her education and being a military spouse, she held several jobs as a preschool teacher and a preschool director, but she wanted to her education to use by writing children’s books. She wrote her first book in college for her children’s literature course. She has self-published several children books on Amazon.

Currently, she is branching off into writing fiction YA, NA, and A novels on issues in society. She loves writing and would not change it for nothing in this world She is now published by Rhetoric Askew. Kimberley is the author of Our Friendship Matters.

https://www.kimberleybjones.com/
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The Tiger Like Me by Kelsey Lee

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kelsey Lee will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

If Abhi had a locker at school, we would find the odd stationary pencil and schoolbook mixed in with her overstocked stash of jungle trekking supplies. Inside we’d find binoculars, a headlamp, a multi-tool, a change of clothes, hiking boots, and a safari hat. Her locker would undoubtedly include some sort of insect that she’s nursing back to health, most likely a Tiger Spider.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

As a child, I adored everything from Shel Silverstein; Where the Sidewalk Ends was certainly my most read book when I was young. I appreciate Shel Silverstein’s humor and the brilliant idiosyncrasies of his work. Sometimes I didn’t understand his poems at all, which made reading them even more entertaining. I thought he was so silly, in the best way. His work fed my oddities and helped me embrace my feelings of being different.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but I am a sucker for a tasty carrot cake with cream cheese icing. It can’t have any nuts or raisins in it though, just loads of carrots. If it’s around, I’ll have it any time of day, no problem!

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

At one point or another, I think I wanted to be everything under the sun and beyond! I have a curious mind with many interests, but Marine Biology always fascinated me. I am an avid scuba diver and love everything to do with ocean life. I also find research intriguing, that career path probably would have been a good fit for me. I suppose I should have moved near the ocean, which may have helped the pursuit. Or maybe I'll write about marine adventures instead.

What reality show would you love to be on? Why?

I remember watching Survivor as a teenager when it first came out. I’ve wanted to be on that show ever since. I appreciate the full-body challenge, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually that show would test my limits and stimulate personal growth. Now that sounds like an adventure! I would also get to visit an incredible location that I likely wouldn’t have traveled to otherwise. I may need to pursue this now that I’m thinking of it again.

Create an ice cream flavor. What’s it called?

If I were to make an ice cream flavor, I would call it Bengal, and it would be a mix of vanilla bean ice cream and black licorice flavor. I like tiger ice cream for the licorice part, but I'm not a massive fan of the orange flavor. Vanilla and black licorice together sounds kind of magical to me! Don't you think!?

This is the story of Abhi, a brave young girl who dares to be different. As she follows the call of her adventurous spirit, she encounters inspiring creatures of the jungle who remind her to face her fears, recognize the beauty of the present moment, and walk the path less travelled.

Read an Excerpt

Mom always tells me, “You need to slow down, and dress up like a princess, wearing your crown.”

Silly Mom, if only she knew. I don’t want to be pretty, and part of the queue. I have so many adventures to create and pursue.

I’d rather be wild and do things that shock her, than dress up in a gown, feeling improper.

Abhi’s my name, and adventure’s my game. My heart is open and it cannot be tamed.

Whatever the quest, I’m up for the mission. Limitless wonder, or focused expedition.

About the Author:

Kelsey Lee is a writer and adventurer who lives in Calgary, Alberta. With a diverse background from business owner to yoga teacher, most often, you can find her writing, working with children, and exploring all that nature has to offer. Kelsey finds daily inspiration to value child-like curiosity and empathy through her two children, and her work in Equine Therapy. As a free-spirited child herself, Kelsey has always believed that anyone could achieve their wildest dreams, no matter how far-reaching. She passionately encourages self-empowerment and self-esteem, as The Tiger Like Me, aims to support the reader in honouring their individuality to be courageously unique, and playfully curious.

Website: http://kelseyleeauthor.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseyleeauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kelsey-Lee-Author-103153121229617/

BUY LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Like-Me-Kelsey-Lee/dp/0228818001/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tiger-like-me-kelsey-lee/11362521027
Indigo/Chapters: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-tiger-like-me/9780228818007-item.html

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Plague Arcanist by Shami Stovall

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Shami Stovall will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Deserts. Rogues. A secret hidden in an underground maze.

Every moment counts as Volke Savan races south to the city of New Norra. His goal: find Theasin Venrover, the famous artificer who may have a cure for the arcane plague. Separated from most of the Frith Guild—and even his sister—Volke must rely on the crew of the airship, the Sun Chaser, to help him find Theasin in time.

To complicate matters, the desert city of New Norra is steeped in mystery, and the massive maze under the streets could potentially solve all of Volke’s problems. With hunters after him, and dread pirates in the port, Volke finds himself forced to choose between equally terrible options…

Continue the Frith Chronicles with the fourth book, Plague Arcanist!

Praise for the Frith Chronicles!

“Perfect for those who enjoy the Codex Alera series, the Homas Wildus series and the Harry Potter series. Stovall is quickly becoming a name I look for." - Seattle Book Review (for Knightmare Arcanist, Book I)

“Dread Pirate Arcanist is a brilliant novel from start to finish.” – Coffee Pot Book Club (for Dread Pirate Arcanist, Book II)

“Marvelously entertaining!” - The Prairies Book Review (for Coliseum Arcanist, Book III)

Read an Excerpt

I had been infected.

Not with something mundane or manageable, but with the arcane plague—a blood disease that affected only the magical. It drove mystical creatures insane within days and slowly corrupted arcanists over the course of months. Each beat of the infected person’s heart betrayed them, spreading the disease throughout their body.

Those infected turned to mayhem and evil. Their madness made even cruel suggestions seem reasonable. It warped every inch of them, and there was no known cure—at least, not yet. Once someone contracted the illness…

The legendary swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma, had thought he could bring back his dead wife with the deaths of countless others. Rylin, the griffin, had tried to consume his own son. The plague-ridden gargoyle I had fought on Calisto’s ship had tried to rip apart all life he’d come into contact with.

I carried the same disease they did.

I rubbed at my arms as goosebumps formed. If I dwelled on the situation, I’d never have the strength to solve the problem. I had to focus on the immediate—on the new day awaiting me.

“Volke, are you okay?” Fain asked.

I nodded. “As much as I can be.”

He stood close, his dark eyes narrowed in concern.

When I had first met Fain, he had been a pirate aboard the infamous Third Abyss. It amused me, that of all the people willing to stand by my side, he was one of them. He was immune to the arcane plague, however, which was the primary reason I hadn’t insisted he abandon me.

All arcanists had a mark on their forehead—a star with the picture of their bonded mystical creature, their eldrin, wrapped around the seven points. Fain’s arcanist mark had a wolf woven throughout. Well, not a wolf, but a wendigo, a mystical creature with a wolf-like body, a skull mask over its face, and large antlers. They were beasts of consumption and known as man-eaters, the one category of creature unaffected by the plague.

Wraith, Fain’s wendigo, sat at Fain’s side, his wolf-gaze locked on the descending airship. Wraith’s gray pelt swished around in the wind, but his fluffy tail remained tightly wrapped around the side of his body. He had no antlers, just nubs where they had once been.

“Do we have to board that… thing?” Wraith whispered, his voice gruff.

Fain patted Wraith behind his skull mask. “It’ll be fine.”

“I’ve never flown before. It doesn’t seem safe.”

“I haven’t heard of any airships crashing.” Fain gave me a questioning glance. “Right?”

Airships were few and far between. Of course no one had heard of them crashing—most people had never even seen one. But I didn’t want to spook him or Wraith. “I doubt it’ll crash.”

About the Author: Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.

If you would like to find a full list of her novels and audiobooks, you can do so here: https://www.amazon.com/Shami-Stovall/e/B07KXXPJ74%3F

If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:

Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall
Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Plague-Arcanist-Frith-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B085DT4YWC

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Dwarf Story by Professor W.W. Marplot

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Professor W. W. Marplot will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For Arty to miss a day of school, either he is very, very sick or a fairytale-character turf-war has begun in his backyard — such as what begins this particular Wednesday. First, he finds an ax-swinging, bearded, sweaty warrior Dwarf scaring his dogs. Soon enough, Emma, Cry and other middle-school friends also find fairy creatures — Elves, Spriggans, Pixies, and a hoped-for Dragon — crashing into their normal homework-doing, backpack-carrying, phone-charging schooldays.

Why are these magical beings here? What should be done? Is that axe sharp? Can Pixies be given aspirin?
Arty with his friends — and spying jerks, and questionable strangers with long names — follow the clues and try to find out, even as things turn dark and dangerous.

The mythical beings are taking sides. The Gwyllion, that legendary Old Woman of the Mountains, has a sinister plan, turning the neighborhood into a fantasy battleground. One that awaits young heroes.

Read an Excerpt

I can’t be sure about everything Arty just told you. I wasn’t there. Our stories will join soon, and it’ll be fun to see Professor Arty try to use black-and-white, Courier-font science facts to make sense of a fantasy realm character landscaping his backyard. He’ll have to admit that he’s just a kid and was awfully afraid during that whole Dwarf-in-the-woods episode, even though fear is not part of the “scientific method” that he brags about all the time. I’m much more normal than he is and much more unique at the same time. And more popular. So, my version will be different, more colorful, more alive, and more imaginative—which is the way fantastic things deserve to be treated. They need to be drawn, believed, written about in long poems.

Especially with what happened next...

About the Author: Professor Welkin Westicotter Marplot, of Coillemuir, Scotland, is a collector of esoteric tales of global wisdom and curator of ancient manuscripts. He is a recluse and, as he claims, has been collecting and collating adventure and fantasy stories for over a century.

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Hunger Winter by Rob Currie

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rob Currie will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

I got hooked on kids’ books from reading to my boys. One of my sons had trouble reading on his own but loved being read to. I soon discovered there are many wonderful books for kids. My sons are grown but I still read kids’ books because I enjoy them. Loving these books so much, it seems natural to write for a young audience.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

That’s easy. After dealing with Nazis chasing him, Dirk would have a big mirror in his locker so he would see anyone trying to sneak up on him. He’d also have a lot of food. After being nearly starved for weeks during the Dutch Hunger Winter of World War II, he’d stock up so he’d never have to worry about going hungry again.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

Two of my favorite books were Robin Hood and Robinson Crusoe. I discovered them as a child on the shelf outside my bedroom. We weren’t allowed to come downstairs on Saturday morning before 8 a.m., in order for our parents to sleep in. If we woke up before that, we could grab a book and read.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

It’s salty treats not the sweets that get me. My wife and I have a wonderful relationship based on three things—commitment to each other, our faith, and keeping plenty of chips in the house.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I’m reading Christy by Catherine Marshall. A book about a woman who volunteers to teach in Appalachia in the early 20th century. It’s not the type of book I usually read but authors need to read a wide variety of books and genres. Otherwise, each book they write can sound too much like the previous one.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Neither. I love Suzanne Collins’ series, Gregor the Overlander¸ which she wrote just before Hunger Games. I love the action and the protective personality Gregor has watching over his little sister, Boots, as they search for their father. That story influenced on Hunger Winter. My story also features an older brother who protects his younger sister while they search for their father. You can’t go wrong in a kids’ story when you capitalize on the natural yearning that kids and their parents have for each other.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which characters from your book do you want with you? Why?

I want Hans Ingelse, a resourceful WWII Resistance operative. He stays calm under pressure and is a good problem solver in tough situations. I want him there for his wisdom and street smarts. I also want Els, his eighteen-year-old daughter, who through enduring Gestapo torture without spilling secrets, showed she’s probably the toughest member of the family. I want her there for her courage and determination.

It's the Netherlands in late 1944. Thirteen-year-old Dirk's Papa left to fight with the Resistance. Then Mama died. When the Gestapo snatched his older sister and he learned they were coming for him next, Dirk left home in the middle of the night. He had his pockets stuffed with food, his little sister asleep in his arms, and his heart heavy with a dark secret.

Read an Excerpt

At 1:45 a.m. Otto Adler rose from his recliner, walked to a table, and picked up a sheet of paper. He scanned it and set it on the table. “Johann went to kill Ingelse but didn’t come back,” he said to the empty room. He pounded the wall with his fist. “I bet the Dutchman outsmarted him and suckered him into talking. I told Johann not to talk! Just shoot him! But he never listens to his older brother,” he growled. “I won’t make that mistake.”

He made a phone call.

“You ready?” Good. I’ll be there at 2:20.” He reached for the sheet of paper. “Yes, I’m going to go over it again.”

He listened.

“So we get it done. Ingelse is a snake that slithers away. But not this time. Ten minutes to get there. We watch the house for fifteen minutes.”

He drummed his fingers on the phone table.

“At 2:45 we walk up to the house. I stand on the porch, and you crouch in the bushes with your gun.” He shaped his free hand like a pistol.

“I knock on the door and say, ‘It’s Windmill.’” He smiled. “I tell him I have an important delivery. When he looks at me, you jump on the porch. You shoot. We leave.”

He was silent for thirty seconds. “Yes, I’m sure. That Jew-loving Ingelse will be dead in an hour.” He hung up the phone and fed his notes to the flames in the potbellied stove.

About the Author: Life conspired to get Rob Currie to write Hunger Winter: A World War II Novel. His father is a World War II veteran and his wife is Dutch. An award-winning author, it was only a matter of time before he would focus his writing on World War II. Research for Hunger Winter included numerous books, interviews with Dutch WWII survivors, and three weeks in the Netherlands. His investigation revealed astonishing details about the Dutch experience of the war, which begged to be turned into a book.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, he graduated from Cornerstone University and went on to earn a master's degree and doctorate in psychology from St. Louis University. He has taught psychology at Judson University since 1987. His hobbies include playing basketball, cooking, and writing poetry.

Author Web Site: http://www.robcurrieauthor.com
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Winter-World-War-Novel/dp/1496440358/

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Review Tour: Sophie Washington: My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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.

My review:

It's hard being a tween, especially in today's world with social media recording everything you do.

Sophie's a good kid.  She's smart and capable, perhaps not as brave as she'd like to be, but she comes from a solid family and has her head on as straight as a girl her age can.  Until her bestie, Chloe, starts messing with her.

You expect your bestie to have your back no matter what. But out of the blue, Chloe starts acting mean, embarrassing Sophie and leaving her out.  Poor Sophie has no idea what she's done for Chloe to start behaving this way. They're besties!!

This is my first foray into the world of Sophie Washington, so I'm not familiar with her or her group of friends.  They're pretty realistic and unique and remind me a bit of my own daughter's group of friends when she was younger.  It was nice to see that they mostly got along well, except for Chloe's sudden reversal, thought I have to admit I was surprised to see a group of girls getting alone with little drama.  In my experience, that just doesn't happen.  When I read this line from the book, uttered by one of the boys, “I’ll never understand girls. There’s no way I’d treat one of my boys like that.”
I nodded. Girls can be incredibly cruel.

The writing here was clean and smooth and absolutely appropriate for the age group it's intended. Less descriptive than an adult book, but plenty clear enough to set the stage and keep us knowing exactly what was going on.  The author is clearly talented and knows her genre well.  I only wish these books had been around when my daughter was younger.  Good lessons here!  I do have to admit I thought Sophie forgave Chloe far too quickly and I'm not sure that would happen IRL without at least a few hard feelings, but good for Sophie. Truly.

All in all a solid entry in the middle grade reader genre, and if all the books are like this one, I'd recommend moms everywhere get copies for their kids.  Sophie seems to be facing real challenges that affect kids today, and has good support (friends and family) to help guide her through.

4 solid stars!

Enjoy an 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!

About the author: 

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.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyaellisbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyaDEllis
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www.tonyaduncanellis.com

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