Sophie Washington Book Series
By: Tonya Duncan Ellis
Tonya Duncan Ellis loves to travel and has visited 49 American states, 20 countries, 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 Houston, TX.
Find out more at www.tonyaduncanellis.com
An entertaining series that celebrates friendship, diversity, and anti-racism, these engaging, illustrated, middle grade chapter books are a great addition to classroom and homeschool libraries and delight fans of Ramona Quimby, Ivy and Bean, Jada Jones, Judy Moody, and Junie B. Jones.
"The story covers some important moral subjects such as honesty, kindness, and self-confidence. I thought the story also tackled the subject of isolating others and the hugely important topic of social media bullying very well." - Readers' Favorite
Other Sophie Washington titles 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's response in writing My BFF: How far should you go to keep a friendship?
Teacher Review:
I get asked often what would be great series for readers who are reading above level in 3rd/4th as well as in 5th. Sophie Washington is the best friend protagonist we all need in our life. Every single thing that Sophie experiences are relatable to students in these middle grade classrooms. These stories would also be AMAZING read alouds for 1st-3rd grade! It prepares children to deal with the world and how cruel others could be. This particular book in the series helps kids to understand how hard friendships can truly be, and how sometimes if it's too much work to keep the friend, they may not have been your friend at all. Or if they are your friend, they're going to be worth fighting for. A lot of it is up for discussion with students and how they handle those situations.
I highly recommend this series to elementary teachers! Head to the links to buy the whole series.
“An impressive array of names, events, and concepts from Black history are introduced in this alphabet book for early-elementary readers . . . Readers will feel pride and admiration for the resilience and achievements of Black people and a call to participate in the ‘unfinished . . . American tale.’”
-Kirkus starred review
"Be prepared to learn more than 26 nuggets of information from this rendition of the alphabet...The layers of history are plentiful and complex....A useful mentor text for writing projects, a springboard for research, and an essential addition to classroom libraries."
-Booklist
Written by Pushcart-nominated-poet, Rio Cortez and illustrated by newcomer Lauren Semmer, THE ABCs of BLACK HISTORY uses the alphabet as a frame to introduce Black history. Beginning with Anthem—an introduction to James Weldon Johnson’s Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing—and ending with Zenith, a tribute to the mountaintop Dr. King spoke about before his death, readers will travel across continents and centuries, navigate triumph and heartbreak, and celebrate creativity and joy.
The poetic text introduces big ideas to engage curious minds. Every letter has a rhyming verse, and every spread is a visual feast. F explores the concepts of farming and food. G is for Go! and the Great Migration from the rural South to the urban North. Then the reader lands in Harlem, New York, where they meet Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hug
The book also includes robust back matter that offers more information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Fannie Lou Hamer to DJ Kool Herc, the Little Rock Nine to Sam Cooke.
A necessary addition to every child’s bookshelf, THE ABCs of BLACK HISTORY is an exuberant celebration of history, culture, race, and justice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rio Cortez is a writer and Pushcart Prize–nominated poet who has received fellowships from Poet’s House, Cave Canem, and CantoMundo foundations. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Miami Rail, and Mother magazine, among others. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rio writes and lives in Harlem, New York. Her daughter was the inspiration for this book.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Lauren Semmer is an artist, children’s book illustrator, and designer. She studied drawing at St. Paul College of Visual Arts and art history at New York University. Lauren’s bright and charming work is featured on everything from kid’s wall art to children’s apparel. She lives in Manhattan, New York, with her family.
