ReedALOUD: One Word from Sophia

I am excited to be taking part in the  blog tour for One Word from Sophia, written by Jim Averbeck and illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail.

In One Word from Sophia, "Sophia tries varied techniques to get the giraffe she wants more than anything in this playfully illustrated story about the nuances of negotiation. Sophia has one true desire for her birthday. But she has Four Big Problems in the way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad...and Grand-mama. Will her presentations, proposals, and pie charts convince them otherwise? Turns out, all it takes is one word."

In One Word from Sophia, Jim Averbeck gives readers a clever and creative protagonist who determinedly pursues her one true desire - to own a pet giraffe. Sophia is spunky and smart. She uses her best persuasive arguments and accompanies them with informative graphics. Each presentation regarding the benefits of a pet giraffe is geared toward it's audience: the mom who is a judge, the dad who is a business man, and the uncle who is an activist. What a great way to talk about knowing your audience. After various attempts to convince her family members to get her that one thing, her wise grandmother reminds her of the one word she has forgotten to say in her effusive, loquacious, and verbose pleas. Wait. Did I mention the language? This book invites exploration around the use of language as well as the ways of presenting an idea. The glossary at the back defines words from the text, such as: effusive, loquacious, and verbose along with activist, quadruped and more. Yasmeen Ismail's playful illustrations compliment Sophia's persistent and determined nature while celebrating her ingenuity and creativity. 

Here's Jim Averbeck talking about the book:

 

As Jim Averbeck mentions, Yasmeen Ismail chose to portray a multiracial family dealing with this fairly universal event - a child who really wants something and is trying his or her best to get it. We need more books that portray the plurality of world's people and reflect the lives of all young readers. If stories connect us, readers must be able to find themselves or their peers in them. One Word from Sophia is about a little girl, cared for by a loving extended family, learning the importance of one little word -- one little word that can make quite a big difference. 

Read this book....please.

And please read below for information on the blog tour, the book, the diverse books campaign, a free Skype visit with Jim, and more!

Be sure to check out the other Blog Tour Stops:

10/19/2015 - Jen at Teach Mentor Texts

10/21/2015 - Franki and Mary Lee at Two Reading Teachers

10/22/2015 - Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers

10/23/2015 - Crystal at Reading Through Life

10/24/2015 - Alyson at Kid Lit Frenzy

Diverse Books Campaign:

One Word from Sophia is one of three books chosen for an initiative to promote diverse books: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/68135-indie-booksellers-announce-diversity-initiative.html.  As part of the diverse books campaign, Jim Averbeck is offering free Skype visits with classrooms that purchase the book. More information can be found here.

Check out the downloadable Teacher's Guide: 
http://www.jimaverbeckbooks.com/p/resources.html

Learn more about Jim and Yasmeen and connect with them on Twitter:

Jim Averbeck's Website: http://www.jimaverbeckbooks.com/

Jim Averbeck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimaverbeck

Yasmeen Ismail's Website: http://www.yasmeenismail.co.uk/

Yasmeen Ismail on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yasmeenmay

Connect with the publisher:
Simon and Schuster's One Word From Sophia.
Connect with Simon and Schuster Kids on Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonkids.

One Word from Sophia in the news:
Another great use for One Word from Sophia, this time in high school AP English classes:
http://www.slj.com/2015/09/books-media/teachers-find-many-reasons-to-use-picture-books-with-middle-and-high-school-students/