Sofia a Dúha

Unicorn Academy: Where Magic Happens #1

by Julie Sykes, Barbora Al Zafari (Translator)

Predstavte si školu, v ktorej na vás čaká jednorožec a s ním množstvo kúzelných dobrodružstiev!

Prvá kniha obľúbenej série vás zavedie do školy na Ostrove jednorožcov, ktorú môžu absolvovať deti od desiatich rokov. V škole dostane každé dieťa vlastného jednorožca a ten sa stáva jeho najlepším priateľom na celý život. Keď Sofia dovŕši desať rokov a konečne môže nastúpiť do Akadémie jednorožcov, plná očakávania prichádza na ostrov. Zakladateľka školy, slečna Prvosienková, jej pridelí nádherného jednorožca Dúhu, s ktorým si Sofia hneď porozumie. Má však problém uznať Dúhu za svoju najlepšiu priateľku, keďže doma nechala starého poníka Ďatelinku, ku ktorému má veľmi vrúcny vzťah. Na Ostrove jednorožcov sa nachádza zázračné Trblietavé jazero, a keď Sofia zistí, že zmena jeho farby súvisí s tým, že jednorožcom sa začnú kaziť ich typické, osobitné kúzla, rozhodne sa spolu s Dúhou to napraviť. Budú však musieť byť odvážne a vydať sa na veľké dobrodružstvo do zakázaného lesa.

Knižka je doplnená milými čiernobielymi ilustráciami je priam stvorená pre milovníkov fantazijnej literatúry.

Pre čitateľov od 10 rokov

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Unicorns, Fiction, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Magic

112 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2018

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Welcome to my website. Come on in and have a look around. You can find out about my books and also about me.

Name:
Julie Sykes

Birthday:
My birthday month is August

Place of birth:
Kingston upon Thames

Places I’ve lived:
My family moved to Australia just after I was born but returned to England in time for me to start school. I was educated in Surrey and lived there until I got married. I now live in the south of England with my husband and our three children. We used to live on a fish farm, which we shared with 300,000 rainbow trout. We share our current home with a few goldfish and a white wolf cunningly disguised as a dog.

Jobs:
I’ve worked in a kennels, shops, pubs and on a mushroom farm. My first full-time job was as a laboratory technician and after that a teacher. I’m now a full time writer.

First book published:
There were two - This and That and I Don’t Want To Go To Bed!

Favourite Things:
Family, friends, Spring (the season not the bouncy sort although bouncing is good, too), cappuccino, Danish pastries, Cornwall, the sea, books, animals, chocolate.

Worst Things:
Litter, vandals, cleaning the house, having NOTHING to read.

Hobbies:
Reading, walking, cooking, hanging out in cafés.

Reviews

[Em Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would I have chosen this to read? Nope. But my daughter wanted to read it, so here we are.

I enjoyed Sophia's desire to stay true to Clover. But at points it felt frustrating how long this story line was drawn out.

Her friendship with Ava was the best part of the book.

Three stars because ultimately I feel the book reinforced the idea that solving a problem on your own is more important than asking for help. Sophia was rewarded for:

a) Keeping secrets from adults
b) Breaking the rules
c) Making a friend an accomplice

[Eliza Grigg]

i spent several weeks reading this out loud to my daughter at night so you bet your bottom dollar i’m counting it towards my goal.

perfect series for a young reader. my 6 year old loved every second!

[Viktorija| Laisvalaikis su knyga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dar toks pas mane laikas, kai savo dukrytei iš bibliotekos renku knygas, o jai skaitau prieš miegą. Jai labiausiai patinka klausytis istorijų apie princeses, nuotykius ir gyvūnus. Vienaragiai vienu metu ir patiko, o apie juos, pasirodos, kiek daug yra knygelių. Pabandėme. Bent pačiai nebloga istorija, bet iki gerumo pritrūko, pvz. norėjosi, kad būtų daugiau nuotykių.

[Maya Yankulova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Страхотна еднорожка книга.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice bedtime read with my daughter.

[TheBabyGarnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact I finished this in one day is kind of answered why I liked it and why I love the fact the story is about unicorn school. I love unicorns so this was so ideal for me. I’m loving the story of how funny rainbow is with his personality but then a sad twist is brought up when Sophia has to leave her senior horse clover to go to unicorn school and then she was looking at a unicorn she so wanted to ride with when she ends up paired up with him. She was very happy when she found out he was hers officially for the whole term. Recommended by me to unicorn fans who think they want to imagine unicorn school

[Brittany Fair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my daughter, who is 5. I've tried a few novels with her and they don't hold her attention but this one reeled her in (and also my older daughter who initially thought it was too "babyish" but ended up getting hooked). I thought it was a really sweet book. It sort of reminded of Harry Potter but unicorn training instead of wizardry. I liked the way Sophia learned that she could form a friendship with her unicorn while still being loyal to her pony. A good message for kiddos! I'm actually pretty pumped to read the rest of the series with my girls.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I are reading this series together. While I enjoyed the book and the way Sophia was able to ignore the bully/mean girl and lean on her friends. I was disappointed that one theme throughout was keeping secrets from adults (which my 8 year old pointed out each time) and solving problems bigger than yourself instead of asking adults for help.

Over all it was an enjoyable read, my daughter loved the relationship between Sophia and Ave and their unicorns.

[TheBookGardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I read this with my six year old daughter. It was a really fun read that definitely captured both of our imaginations.

I mean it’s a school where you get your own unicorn and have a magic rainbow lake. What’s not to love?

My daughter loved it and this definitely would have been one of my favorites if I had read it when I was little.

[Alexis harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved it! Hope I am able to get the rest of the series! Big thank you to those who made this book because I love it so much it is now my fave book of the year!😀

[Bbostad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated by my 5 year old: “UNICORNS!”

[Saphira Boozenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE it so much 🥰🥰🥰

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my preschooler. We never found out who the "masked figure" was. We will be reading the full series in hopes of finding the answer.

[Ogden]

I read it to my daughter and she liked it. If we read more then i hope we meet the real bad guy. Don’t string me along! 😂

[Jordan DeBry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maeve (6): “I loved it so much! They went on many adventures. They even got their own unicorn pets! My favorite part was when they found like these rain crystals to make all the crazy rain stop.”

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story about girls at a magical academy who bond with their unicorns; in this one, Sophia learns a lesson about moving forward in life without leaving old friends behind. A good read-alike for fans of Sue Bentley's Magic Animals series.

[Lucy Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love love, love, love love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love,love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love
Love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love it 🥰💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💜💜💜💚💚💚💙💙💛💛💓💓❤️❤️❤️ it’s very unicorny🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cute book for young readers. I feel like fans of My Little Pony and Spirit Riding Free will absolutely adore it.

I just picked it up to get an idea of the source material before I dive into the new Netflix series based on the books. And it definitely makes me more interested now, at least to see how the adaptation holds up in comparison to the books. I mean, I'm sure it's better, but I'm curious to see what characters make that transition from page to screen, if any get cut in the process, and how the plot might differ. Perhaps I'll have to read the rest of the books to fully understand the first season? We'll see. I'm definitely not against reading another one. They're quick, easy reads, and the art is adorable and charming.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars according to my 5yo. This 42yo would have given it 3-4, but I’m glad she enjoyed it. I appreciate that it’s no longer than it needs to be.

[Jaida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was ten so it's not my typical review format but it was super cute

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een nieuwe glitterige serie over eenhoorns. In dit eerste boek volgen we Sofie en Regenboog.

Ik was erg enthousiast toen ik dit boek (en het tweede deel) zag bij een van mijn bibliotheken. Wat zag dit er schattig uit, en ohhh eenhoorns, wat leuk! De cover (ook die van het andere boek) zag er mooi en kleurrijk uit.

In dit boek ontmoeten we Sofie, we zien hoe ze haar paard Cosmo moet achterlaten en dat ze moet wennen aan een heel nieuw paard, nou ja, een eenhoorn. Ja, in deze wereld heb je eenhoorns, en een hele mooie wereld die iedereen moet beschermen. Ieder kind, meisje of jongen (wat ik erg leuk vond dat iedereen een kans had) kan als hij of zij 10 jaar oud wordt naar deze mooi school gaan en daar alles leren over eenhoorns, over de wereld waar ze wonen, en natuurlijk ook de normalere onderwerpen (in ieder geval, daar ga ik van uit want we horen er niet veel over, we zien voornamelijk de kinderen door de school gaan, eenhoorns knuffelen, en over eenhoorns leren).

Ik vond Sofie erg leuk, al was ik wel een beetje gefrustreerd met haar. Ik snap dat ze het misschien oneerlijk vindt dat ze ook Regenboog leuk vindt, maar ze moet echt met hem praten. Continue wijst ze die arme jongen af, continue zit Cosmo in haar hoofd. Het duurde veel te lang voordat ze eens met hem ging praten over haar gevoelens. En ja, ik snap dat het moeilijk is hoor, ze is ook maar 10 jaar oud en opeens alleen weg van haar ouders, maar ik weet zeker dat als ze eens wat had gepraat het misschien veel beter was gegaan.

Het was ook erg leuk om te zien wat voor krachten iedere eenhoorn kreeg, en ik keek enorm uit naar Regenboogs kracht. Wat zou deze eenhoorn kunnen? Genezen? Vliegen? Iets met regenbogen?

Er was ook nog wat mysterie, namelijk dat het mooie regenboogmeer dat erg belangrijk is vergiftigd wordt door iets of iemand. Sofie wordt beschuldigd dat zij het meer aan het vergiftigen is. Het duurt even (en echt niet zoals in de blurb staat), maar dan heeft deze dame een plan, en samen met een vriendin gaat ze ervoor. Superleuk en ook spannend want er gebeuren nog wat dingen. Ik hoop wel dat we een keer uitvinden wie de dader is, want daar komen we nu niet achter.

Er was een ding waardoor ik een ster van dit boek wegtrek. Namelijk Valentina. Wat een *insert heel wat gemene woorden*, sorry, maar moeten we nou altijd in dit soort verhalen (kostschool) een rijk verwend krengetje neerzetten? Kunnen we niet eens een leuke meid hebben die misschien een rivaal is voor onze hoofdpersoon (en haar vriendinnen)? Moet ze nou echt alles verpesten? En dan later is ze ook mensen aan het beschuldigen, ze maakt een aantal enorm pestkopperige commentaren, en tja, sorry, van mij mag ze helemaal wegvallen. Maar ja, hé. Ma/pa en tante zitten allemaal in belangrijke posities op school. *zucht*

Ik was even verward, want ze reizen dus 5 uur om naar de school te komen, hebben blijkbaar haar oude paard meegenomen, die in een wei gezet, en die dus later weer meegenomen? Maar later zegt Sofie iets dat ze het jammer vond dat ze Cosmo niet mee kon nemen? Maar hij was er toch? Ze reed zelfs op hem het laatste stukje naar school....

Het boek heeft ook allerlei leuke illustraties, ik vond de eenhoorns erg mooi getekend.

Ik heb dus best genoten van dit boek, en ik zou het zeker ook aanraden aan iedereen die wat liefs, leuks, en sprankelends nodig heeft.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Tim Roast · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter loves unicorns. So I got this book for her.

The first thing to say about “Unicorn Academy: Sophia and Rainbow” is that its design reminded me of the Rainbow Fairy books by Daisy Meadows. The colourful, sparkly cover complete with rainbow on it, surrounding the centre picture of Sophia and her Unicorn Rainbow, reminded me very much of that successful series. No doubt they are aiming to attract the same audience.

Second thing to say is that this is the first title in the series. This is reflected in the story, in my opinion, which has a gentle pace before the story eventually takes off only towards the end.

Thirdly I agree with another reviewer that there is an unresolved story element at the end which means this book is not entirely self-contained. It may be that the mysterious villain’s identity will be revealed in a future book, but I, and my daughter, will likely never find out for sure who it was.

The story follows Sophia who has gone to Unicorn Academy for the first time. “Welcome to Unicorn Academy. Now you are ten years old it is time for you to spend a year here, training and bonding with your own special unicorn. You and your unicorn will be partners for life, helping each other and looking after Unicorn Island.”

Sophia is partnered with Rainbow, but feels a pang of guilt at leaving her beloved pony Clover at home promising her that she’d “never love any unicorn as much as I love you”. But Sophia and Rainbow do end up bonding – “When you bond with your unicorn, a lock of your hair will turn the same colour as your unicorn’s mane” – on their first adventure.

For young unicorn lovers the magic and the thought of being paired with your own unicorn should capture the imagination and make this a decent read.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one with my 4 year old daughter who is unicorn obsessed right now.

This is a cute little chapter book about a group of 10 year olds joining Unicorn Academy where they each bond with a unicorn and help them discover their magic. These books each follow a different pair though they all seem to originate from the same dorm. Sophia is excited to join, but also feeling sad and a bit guilty to leave her older pony at home. This guilt is something she needs to overcome in order to fully bond with her unicorn, Rainbow.

There is a mystery element here with something going amiss with the lake water that supplies unicorns with their health and magic. There is some mild tension from the warning that if the water stays bad it will harm the unicorns and the other inhabitants of the island. There is some additional suspense with an encounter at the bottom of a pit deep in the woods. There is a bully character who is always talking down to others and using some mild negative language/name calling. A number of the kids break some of the school rules with not much consequence.

I can tell this book series is meant for a slightly older audience than my daughter, likely much closer in age to the protagonists. If you have a sensitive kid you can likely skim over or downplay some of the scarier or meaner bits, and the rest of the time is just a fun romp with unicorns.

[Elizabeth Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. Rounded up to 3 because my daughter loved it.

I, like the other moms who have left reviews, will absolutely be counting this towards my reading goal for the year because I spent days and days reading this aloud to my daughter at night.

I just have to say that the “I miss my old, washed up horse I’ve had for my whole life, (she literally mentions this almost every chapter 😵‍💫) and I can’t love a RAINBOW UNICORN because that would be completely disloyal to my precious Clover” bit was exhausting! REALLY!!?!?! You can love more than one person, I don’t understand how this doesn’t translate to your pets?!

I was enduring the whining as best I could until she was going to run away back to Clover because of—gasp—her feelings about him, and a complete misunderstanding between the mean students that she chose to completely ignore rather than confront! I was totally turned off to the whole book after that…. Ugh!

This book was pretty preteen drama-ish and I don’t think we need any more of that, thank you very much. Alas, I’ll be stuck reading the series because bonding through reading is one of my favorite pastimes with my children. The things you do for love…

**I should absolutely mention that my seven-year-old did not pick up on ANY of this drama/ranting and seemed to really enjoy it, BUT she can’t leave a review, so there! 😜**

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ако си падате по детските книжни поредици за млади читатели, изпълнени с фантастични приключения и красиви илюстрации, то имаме добра новина за вас! Ако пък сте фенове на фентъзи истории за вълшебни училища и млади герои, борещи се за добро, то новината е още по-хубава! А ако новата мания вкъщи е анимационния сериал на Netflix „Академия за еднорози“, то за вас това ще е направо новината на годината! (Добре, де! Стига дрънка! Каква Е новината?!) Благодарение на изд. „Сиела“, вече можете да прочетете и на български „София и Дъга“, „Скарлет и Жар“ и „Ейва и Звезда“ - първите три романа от прочутата поредица на Джули Сайкс „Академия за еднорози“! Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Lilyfae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute little series with a lot more punch than the Unicorn Magic/Rainbow Fairies that parents may inevitably compare them to.
Sophia is going to train at the Unicorn Academy like all children in her world, but she is upset at leaving her pony behind and worrying she is betraying Clover by bonding with her unicorn Rainbow. However, through caring and uncovering and stopping a sinister plot she finds that her heart can grow to accommodate more love, and learns to bond with her special Unicorn.
This is a very important story outside of the sweetness and unicorn setting as it helps children to pursue their interests and stand up for themselves, but also that we can always make more room in our hearts for friends, or new people in our lives.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would. Sophia is 10 years old and off to Unicorn Academy, where she will be paired with a unicorn and learn to take care of him/her. She’s excited, but misses her family, especially her pony, Clover, who was her best friend at home.

The story is Dragon Masters meets Hogwarts. There’s a lot going on. The kids are split into dorms. There’s a Draco Malfoy-esque mean girl who thinks she’s the best because her parents are trustees. There’s a “forbidden forest”. Each unicorn has a super power which they will discover. But overall it’s cute. Each book in the series follows a different kid/unicorn pair. And there’s a continuing mystery of someone trying to ruin the magical lake at the academy.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

My girl, 6 years old, is all about Rainbows and unicorns and for that reason I got her this book. We read a chapter or 2 everyday before bedtime. She read most of it while I helped her with big words and she loved it!

This book reminded me of Harry Potter because of the school, how the kids get their unicorns, different names for the dorms and then there’s the adventure. I didn’t mind it to be honest, I on the other hand thought that it is good for the kids to start with something simple like this with less scary stuff and then pass to Harry Potter. The story was good, if I was a kid I’m sure I would have loved it! As a grown up, I think I would have passed to another book that would interest me more ...

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read something that said this was like Harry Potter but with unicorns and well, that’s not wrong! I liked how Sophia and Ava had some semblance of personalities, and so did their unicorns. I liked the descriptions of the dorms etc, very Potter-esque. I did not like the bullying! Why didn’t Sophia go to an adult? She doesn’t like tattling?! I didn’t like that Sophia and Ava felt that they should solve the Lake issue without getting adults involved. I guess that’s all very similar to HP and maybe just typical kid thoughts - like “imagine if I saved everyone” dreams. I’m happy that Emily enjoys it but I’ll have to check in and see how future books are re: bullying etc. I also hope that we learn more about Sophia and Ava in future stories vs pivoting to brand new characters each book.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for my five year old daughter because she enjoys the show on Netflix and loves unicorns. I was hoping this would be a series we could read together as she enjoys reading longer books now.

I read it aloud at bedtime over about a week. I found it a bit choppy to read at times. I was also surprised at how different it is than the show. So far the only similarities seem to be the human characters. Like another reviewer I also have concerns about some of the messages the book (and show) send.

I’ll probably buy the next book because my daughter seems to enjoy it but so far the series isn’t quite what I’d hoped for.