This book is such an enjoyable, entertaining, charming, and adorable read!!!
It was great catching back up with Sophie and her friends for another exciting adventure!!!
This book was a fun, quick, easy read that I was unable to put down! The pages just flew right by and before I knew it, I was already on the last page!
This is the sixth book I’ve read and reviewed in The Sophie Washington Book Series, and this is the seventh book in the series that I’ve featured on my blog! I have absolutely enjoyed every one of them! So, I was thrilled to read and review Tonya’s latest book in this series, “Mismatch.”
Tonya’s impressive writing skills only continue to improve, grow, and expand with each book!
I totally love the characters!! Sophie, her friends: Chloe, Mariama, Valentia, Rani, Toby, Nathan; her new tennis partner, Mackenzie; her tennis coach, Coach Quackenbush; mean girls: Kennedy, Lindsey, and Jacqueline; her mom and dad, her little brother, Cole, and their adorable family dog Bertram. They were all enjoyable, genuine, realistic, and relatable.
I was so happy to see so many returning characters!! I tend to get invested in my characters – especially in a book series, so I was glad to see everyone come back and pick right up where we left off from the last book.
I always tend to bond more with Sophie and this book was no different. However, I also felt a bit of a connection with Sophie’s new friend and tennis partner, Mackenzie. Mackenzie is keeping a big secret about her health from everyone at school and on the tennis team. When I was in seventh grade I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and was constantly in pain. But at only eleven years old it’s hard to explain that feeling and what I’m going through to fellow classmates. They don’t understand. Especially when your illness is internal, as is Mackenzie’s too, if people – even more so at a kid’s age don’t see bruises or broken bones or some injury that requires a Band-Aid, they don’t get how you can be experiencing pain inside. So, I totally get why Mackenzie wanted to keep her illness private, but it certainly led to some confusion, misunderstandings, and misjudgments.
Health issues when you’re a kid can be really embarrassing so I also get why Mackenzie wanted to keep it secret. Besides the Fibromyalgia I also had severe Asthma which made it difficult to participate in P.E. and exercise. When I was in school twice a year in gym class they would weigh and measure us, and the gym teacher would yell out our stats to his assistant to write down and the entire class could hear the results – it was humiliating!!! Now a days, kids are still measured in gym class, but their results of their weight, height, BMI, etc., are printed on their report cards!!! How horrifying??!! If I wasn’t in good shape, I certainly wouldn’t want to keep that report card no matter if those stats were next to all A+’s!!! Why would I want that reminder or want anyone to accidentally see that?? Yes, there is a huge problem today with kids and obesity but embarrassing them into losing weight is not the right answer!!!
I really liked the scene of the assembly presentation and when the nutritionist taught the kids smart, healthy, easy to make, delicious after-school snacks. That was a fun and creative way to integrate smart and healthy food choices that can help lead to future better eating habits!!! That is a great way to help fight childhood obesity!!! A big part of the problem is lack of education and understanding of how calories work and knowing about alternatives – besides just beets, kale, and broccoli – which no kid truly wants to eat lol.
I also have to mention how captivated I was by Valentina in this book! Even though she had been recently injured and on the sidelines for most of the book, she was still her loud, entertaining self! You can’t take the cheer out of the cheerleader lol as she rooted on Sophie and Mackenzie from the bleachers regardless that tennis matches usually prefer the audience hold their applause so the players can concentrate lol.
I love that this book takes real-life issues head on and allows the reader to easily connect with the characters and the situations they get into at home, at school, and on the court.
This book really focused on mean girls, bullying, not judging someone before you have all the facts, peer pressure, sibling rivalry, working family households, keeping secrets, miscommunications, misunderstandings, and health and wellness.
This book is full of valuable lessons that readers of ALL ages can enjoy, appreciate, and learn from!
I also love the family scenes with Sophie, her younger brother, Cole, and their parents. It’s refreshing, uplifting, and inspiring! Whether they’re going on bike rides, attending church, or just gathering around the table for dinner – it’s quality family time that every family should strive to have some form of – regardless how small or big one’s family is.
I liked that this book touched on so many topics such as friendship, family, love, forgiveness, bullying, torment, health and wellness, sibling rivalry, misjudgments, misconceptions, false impressions, sportsmanship, peer pressure, support, overcoming challenges, perceptions, self-esteem, respect, compassion, appreciation, acceptance, recognition, and so much more.
This book has a creative story line, structured outline, evenly paced plot points, detailed scenes, relatable characters, important and useful life lessons, instilled valuable morals, and keeps you engaged through the last page – regardless of your age!
I really enjoyed reading this book and wish these books were around when I was a kid. I look forward to being able to share this book series with my kids that I hope to have one day in the future!!
I think the best part of this book being for middle graders, is that it’s a fun, cool, intriguing book for them! It’s not a dumbed down kid’s book and it’s not a book that a parent can be worried that their kid is reading. It’s a book that a kid will want to read, won’t be embarrassed to read in front of their friends or their parents. It’s the right kind of a book a kid should be reading and the right kind of book their parent will be glad they are reading!
This book is book nine of the Sophie Washington Book Series. Although I have read many of the other books in this series, this book can absolutely be read on its own as a standalone without any fear of getting lost or confused. However, I totally LOVE this book series, and would definitely recommend the whole series!!!
This book is “G” rated as there is no swearing, no violence, no adult situations, and no sexual content.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all children’s middle grade readers and in all honesty readers of all ages will like this book too – and this book series! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
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Top reviews from other countries
RinnyC
Another great Sophie Washington story!
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2019Verified Purchase
kid reader
A Must Have Book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2019Verified Purchase
jan h.
Reviews were my guideline
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2020Verified Purchase
Elaine
Granddaughter
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2020Verified Purchase
Danielle B
Read this one too
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2020Verified Purchase
