Sophie's World

Sophie #1

by Nancy N. Rue

When future film director Sophie LaCroix visits Williamsburg, Virginia, her imagination sends her straight into the eighteenth century. An unlikely heroine, Sophie’s forced to use her new-found war tactics to foil a heinous plot and save a friend from impending humiliation by the popular girls.

Genres: Christian, Fiction, Juvenile, Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Childrens, Young Adult

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Nancy Rue is the author of over 100 books for adults and teens, including the Christy Award-winning The Reluctant Prophet, Unexpected Dismounts and Healing Waters (with Steve Arterburn), which was the 2009 Women of Faith Novel of the Year. She travels extensively—at times on the back of a Harley—speaking to and teaching groups of women of all ages. Nancy lives on a lake in Tennessee with her Harley-ridin’ husband, Jim, and their two yellow Labs (without whom writing would be difficult).

Reviews

[Olivia Jarmusch · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a little girl, I absolutely LOVED the Sophie Series! I was about 11 or 12 when I read my first one, and I was hooked! I could absolutely relate with Sophie's character and the way she got a little bit too caught up in her imagination. The adventures she went on, and discoveries she made in her relationship with God are just precious and had a big impact on my mind at that age! I would absolutely recommend this to any young girls who are looking for a fun, yet encouraging read! (Just make sure that your library has ALL of the Sophie books before you start, or you might be a little disappointed haha!)

[Evangeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS ME.

I LOVE SOPHIE WITH ALL MY HEART.

Disclaimer: this book is not a literary masterpiece, but it is very special to me.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

{Welcome to Pre-Teen Week! Every quarter we’re going to try to do a full week dedicated to finding great Christian books for girls ages 8/9-12 every week day! This is Day Four of this quarters’!} {Day 1 Here!} {Day 2 Here!} {Day 3 Here!}


About this book:

“When future film director Sophie LaCroix visits Williamsburg, Virginia, her imagination sends her straight into the eighteenth century. An unlikely heroine, Sophie s forced to use her new-found war tactics to foil a heinous plot and save a friend from impending humiliation by the popular girls.”


Series: Book #1 in “Sophie” series. (Which is part of the Faithgirlz line)


Spiritual Content- 2 Corinthians 4:18 at the beginning; Many Prayers, Blessings over food & Talking to Jesus; Sophie thinks about Jesus & tries to imagine Him; Talks about Jesus, talking to Him & Him answering; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to Jesus; Mentions of Church going; Mentions of the Bible;
*Note: Sophie’s sister calls her “an alien from Planet Weird”.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three ‘shut up’s and four ‘stupid’s; There is also a few ‘lame’s and ‘loser’s; Instead of her name, Maggie is called ‘maggot’ by some boys; A bit of sarcasm; A counselor is referred to as a shrink; Popular girls voice that they think Sophie is weird; Sophie says she hates school & it hates her; A mention of cigarette smoke; Friendships & drama.


Sexual Content- N/A

-Sophie LaCroix, age 11
P.O.V. of Sophie
125 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Four Stars
New Teens- Five Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
{Add a full star for girls in Public or Private School}
Okay, this was really cute! I want to babysit Sophie—she’s so fun! I’m very impressed with all the Spiritual Content (though, I do wish all the ‘H’s were capital) and while it was pretty public school-y, it didn’t feel over the top like some other Pre-Teen books I’ve read in the past. There was also a good amount of history in “Sophie’s World” as well, which was nice!


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie’s on a class trip to Colonial Williamsburg, and she’s in the loser group, which is sad, because she’s a highly imaginative girl with an eagerness to learn and an attention to detail that puts all her class-mates to shame. Sophie knows there were French people in Williamsburg. Sophie imagines she is French. Then she gets lost and prays to find a friend.

Sophie’s World is a place where imagination is imagined and reality is all too often boring. But there’s nothing wrong with Sophie, whatever her parents and teachers might think. And when she meets the answer to her prayer, the possibilities are endless. I love these kids!

“One of the main reasons grown-ups have so many problems is because they’ve forgotten how to play.” What a wonderful line. What a telling truth. But Sophie’s World is full of play. Of course, I like my dreams written down on the page while Sophie prefers to see. But that’s okay. Fiona’s input will bring a smile to any child and parent reading this book. And the spirituality is nicely convincing with telling descriptions of how Jesus works and the difference between imagination and faith.

As Sophie/Antionette negotiates the minefields of Independence, family and school, both reader and character have wonderful lessons to learn—and not just from the delightful glossary that ends the book. For anyone with Christian girls, with concerns about bullying, shyness or friendship, or just looking for a good book with great vocabulary for a young girl to read, Sophie’s World is a wonderful choice and highly recommended.

Disclosure: This isn’t the more famous history of philosophy book, which I loved, but it’s a fun tale and I was lucky enough to purchase it while it was still free on Kindle.

[Anjanette Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after reading an interview with the author about the importance of Christian literature for tweens. I remember that time in my life well and know that what I read (which was a LOT as I, like many tweens, devoured books) impacted my worldview in the teen years.

My own children are still very young (4 and under), but I have a niece in this age group. I would recommend this book to her (in fact, I'm considering getting the whole series for her as a gift), as I know she will be able to relate well to the main character and the general turmoil of friendships in these years.

The author does a wonderful job of emphasizing respect for all of our God-given personalities and talents, as well as helping the reader to understand some of the motivations of others who are different than us - so important in these years!

[Urs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a seven year old niece who is a voracious reader. I read this book to help me determine whether or not it was something that I could get for her. As far as the reading level goes, I am sure that she could have, and probably would have, read it six or seven times at least in the time that it took me to read it once. As far as the content goes though, I think that this one may be a year or two too mature for her. There is a glossary at the end of the book that helps with vocabulary that may be outside of the intended audience's vocabulary.

I found the book odd to read in the beginning. It was not so much that Sophie was a daydreamer, but that she daydreamed about Colonial Williamsburg. Even with the field trip, that was a little hard for me to fathom, especially considering today’s youth. I was not sure if this was something that my niece could relate to either. The switch back and forth to Sophie’s Colonial daydreams to present day also took a little getting used to at first.

Halfway through the book, though, things get much more interesting, and current, with the introduction of Dr. Peters, his idea, and the constant antagonism of the Corn Pops (popular girls) to the Corn Flakes (Sophie and other misfits). This is a classic battle of opposites that I think kids in the right age group will have no trouble relating to, as the author does a very good job in making it believable and disturbing at the same time. The solution to the climactic battle is just as intriguing as the battle itself and closes the book well. There are issues that occurred within the two groups as well that helped show how fragile such groups can be.

While most things are wrapped up at the end of the book, Sophie’s feelings about and relationship with her father are not resolved. The Corn Flake’s relationships with Maggie and Kitty are still up in the air as well. I do realize that this is a book in a series, though. Perhaps these issues are addressed in later books.

Be aware that this is Christian Fiction. With the introduction of Dr. Peters comes the introduction of Jesus and the urge for Sophie to build a better relationship with Him. The idea is presented in such a way that young children can understand it without it being too preachy. I do not remember any quoted bible verses or anything like that. There were just mentions and short conversations about Jesus mostly between Dr. Peters and Sophie, and there were mentions of Jesus in Sophie’s thoughts.

All in all, this is a good read for children in around the 5th grade and up, especially those finding it difficult to fit in or to adjust to new situations. This book was a free read from the Kindle store.

[Sofia Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Sophie: "Sophie closed her eyes and listened to the clip-clop of the horses' hooves. Antoinette LaCroix peeked from inside the carriage, her face half hidden by the hood of her cloak. All around her colonists hurried to and fro..."

A trip to Williamsburg sends Sophie's already very active imagination even further. She needs to help the colonists! But her delightful fantasies only land her in trouble. And now her dad thinks she needs to see a counselor. No way! He'll just say the same thing everybody does, that she's weird and should stop. But could there be a better way out of this trouble?

"Sophie's World" deals with a number of issues: family pressure, popular girls, friendships, being true to yourself, and asking God for help. Sophie is thought strange by almost everybody, and she wonders why they just can't understand. Sophie learns to control her daydreams a bit, but stays herself throughout the story. In the end, her fantasies even help someone out! This story is awesome for middle-school girls struggling with who they are.

This is the first in the Sophie series. The series is packaged in six volumes of two stories each: "Meet Sophie" ("Sophie's World" & "Sophie's Secret"), "Sophie Steps Up" ("Sophie Under Pressure" & "Sophie Steps Up"), "Sophie and Friends" ("Sophie's First Dance" & "Sophie's Stormy Summer"), "Sophie's Friendship Fiasco" ("Sophie's Friendship Fiasco" & "Sophie and the New Girl"), "Sophie Flakes Out" ("Sophie Flakes Out" & "Sophie Love Jimmy"), and "Sophie's Drama" ("Sophie's Drama" & "Sophie Gets Real").

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as far as imagination goes. Very
inspiring, and it shows you the true meaning of relationship
with Jesus Christ. About a girl named Sophie LaCroix who is
always caught daydreaming of an imaginary "Antoinette" from France
who moves to Williamsburg in the 17th century. She is dreaming of
being a film director with her friend Fiona pretending to be
"Henriette"
After she finds out all about the revolutionary war in a social
studies book, she uses those skills to save a friend from being
humiliated by the popular girls.
I think Nancy Rue has done a great job on every single book she's
written, including this one. There is not one I have not liked.
I recommend it to any dreamer.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl who daydreams about characters she makes up in her head...Her grades start to slip because of her daydreaming and her dad tells her if she doesn't get a C on her report card then she can keep the camera...If not well you can guess what happens...I like it because she is alot like me and I can relate to her. She likes to make up stuff and I do too.

[Monica Albright · Rating 1 out of 5]

Looking for tween books for the church library, so I picked up this first in a series of books. Just couldn't get into this series...not my cup of tea and not my girls' cup of tea either. We've all checked this series out...and just not interested.

[Kiki59 · Rating 2 out of 5]

A childrens book which makes attempts to tackle the issue of a young girl not fitting in. This is delicately done however it is a Christianity-promoting book - there is nothing wrong with that, just not perhaps everyone's cup of tea

[Ingrid Van blerk · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 11 year old daughter has read the whole series and has been totally taken by the books. She finds that she can relate tot the characters and is growing in her understanding of how to live as a christian. She has been really encouraged by the books. Great read!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for girls because Sophie has problems real girls sometimes have. It's not like she has a perfect life. You should read these books in order because each one leads to the next.

[Nuts about Friends · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book it really is enjoyable

[Pooja Dimba · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was stupid and totally dumb. I hated it!

[Daisy Paquet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found it again- still as sweet as I remembered.

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie has a huge imagination and sometimes acts out ridiculous plots on the school playground. Certain classmates think she's weird. She tends to day-dream in class as well, so teachers aren't very enamored with her either, which of course spreads to her parents. A couple of good things happen - she makes a friend who shares her interest in imagination, and her parents find her a wise psychologist who gives her great advice about imagining she is talking to Jesus about her problems. Things heat up on the playground, and Sophie even loses her friend. But forgiveness, truth, and kindness bring it to a happy ending - well, almost - and now I can't wait to get my hands on Book 2!

[Kawiria Creed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I just want to thank Nancy Rue and her writing for having such a major impact on my life. When I was in middle school, books like this one shaped my view on the world and on myself--helping me to grow up with my own opinions on Christianity. I saw myself in the imaginative, stubborn main character, Sophie, and I desperately wanted her to be happy. I can never recommend this book enough to young girls in their preteens.

[Sarah Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose the audio of this book to give my daughter’s something to listen to in the car but found myself every bit as interested in the story. Turns out God had a lot to say to me through this tale. Loved it!

[Heather KP · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preread this for my preteen daughter. I thought it was a good, clean and relatively innocent story that deals with feeling left out and bullying. I (as a psychologist) particularly liked the portrayal of the therapist.

[QES Library]

Great story! I love Sophie!

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Clau]

I randomly remembered reading this book series in middle school lol.

[Emily Josabeth Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved these books when I was around 11 or so.
I read every single book this woman wrote and the Sophie books were my favorites.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid lessons on trusting and waiting on God for answers.

Daydreaming even during class was causing big problems for Sophie. People were calling her weird. Until she meets Fiona, Sophie was on her own in her make-believe world. Her father didn't understand her yet he played make-believe right along with her little brother and that was okay? He even wants her to see a psychologist? Now that's weird!

I wasn't crazy about the make-believe dialogue throughout. Other than that, this is a good clean youth book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Sophie's World because it was recommended at a writers' conference I attended. It is a well-written book and it was easy to quickly come to care about Sophie. She's a very imaginative and creative young lady whose father doesn't understand her at all and neither do most of her classmates. She is one of the new kids in her current school and wonders if she'll ever have any friends. It's a quick, easy read for adults, but is truly geared toward tween girls. I highly recommend it to tween girls, especially those tween girls who feel like they don't fit in.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, nothing bad, but some awkward stuff.

There’s a girl named “BJ” and the main character wonders “What does BJ stand for?”
I know what BJ stands for - you know what BJ stands for - and if they Google it, so will the kids who read this book.

She calls a “black haired” girl in her class “exotic” which used to be okay, but is considered an unacceptable word now.

Her dad is emotionally abusive.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book in a new series (for me, at least). I loved the fun fonts in the book and how easy it was to hold. I would have loved this book when I was in elementary or middle school. I like that it teaches the importance of being yourself but also of being a good student, even when it's hard. And that parents and teachers are not perfect. It's a good reminder for kids.

[Cherrybomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice new series for young girls. It is a Christian based book, but honestly, you would never know it. I think some parents may want to see more Christianity represented, however, it was still a very good read and I think it would appeal to most girls in it's target age group.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sophie has a big imagination which interferes with her ability to concentrate in school. A new girl comes to school, she too likes to use her imagination, and helps Sophie learn to focus at school. This is Christian fiction.