Today is our last book for this year's Multicultural Children's Book Day which is tomorrow!! Be sure to come back tomorrow to check out the huge link party and be sure to sign up for the Twitter party! Today's book is a middle grade book (ages 8 to 12) about a Black girl and her friends. It is the tenth book in the Sophie Washington Series. It is Sophie Washington My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis.
In this chapter book we see Sophie Washington trying to figure out her friendship with her BFF. Everything seems fine at first. They are on a field trip with their class at an amusement park. Her daring best friend wants to ride the scary roller coaster which Sophie normally wouldn't do, but she puts on a brave face and faces her fears. However all the rides start to make Sophie feel a bit sick. Chloe doesn't seem to care or understand. Sophie doesn't know what to make of it. After all of it Chloe shares a photo another friend took where Sophie looks weird and the other friend had promised to delete the photo. Now the whole sixth grade and probably the entire middle school sees it. Why is Chloe being so mean? Then Chloe gets even meaner to Sophie and Sophie cannot figure out what is going on until the two get called to their English teacher and questioned about copying one another's work. Sophie goes along with Chloe's lies to get her best friend back but doesn't feel great about it and doesn't appreciate the backlash and punishments. How does one stand up for oneself when a best friend is making life so hard? What makes a good friend? Can their friendship survive this?
This book is written well. The story fits for any group of friends. Sophie struggles finding her own courage to be true to herself and not be bullied by her friend. It is a story about friendship as well as peer pressure. Their other friends however are happy when Sophie sticks up for herself and were ready to help her if needed. I love how it deals with issues that many kids struggle with. When is it helping one another and when is it cheating in school? What should one do for a friend? What makes a good friend? These are all addressed in this book and it is powerful for kids to hear about other kids struggling with many of the same issues. I also love that it shows that people have different strengths and when her BFF begins leaving her out, Sophie turns to another friend who gets added to her friend group in the end. This series seems perfect for the middle grades and deals with real life issues. I hope you will check it out and come back tomorrow for the big day!
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.
MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!
FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com) Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone, Hoopoe Books, KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press,MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!
Poster Artist: Nat Iwata Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids, Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club, Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing, Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book seriesMCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!
MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!
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FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit Gallery of Our Free Posters FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms ProgramTWITTER PARTY! Register here!
