An Old Soul in a Young Body



What My Mother Doesn’t Know

by Sonya Sones

Sones, S. (2001). What my mother doesn’t know . New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

I love surprises, and I found one with What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones.  It was one of the nicest discoveries I’ve made on my literary journey. 

First, I was pleased to see that this novel was written in poetic blank verse, which added to its charm for me.  Even though the book’s central character is a girl named Sophie, the feelings and fears, questions and quandaries she faces are so universal to adolescents that boys could really relate to this book (although they might not tell their teammates).

We speak of the candor and simple truths that comes from the mouths of babes; and, to the other extreme, we know that wisdom comes with age.  But Sophie is an old soul in the body of a young girl barely out of childhood, so her words mix the best of these two age extremes as she shares with us all the fears and joys, hopes and disillusionments, secrets and joyful outpourings of adolescence.  When I saw the title, I expected whatever it was that Sophie’s mother didn’t know to be delicate or even R-rated.  But it pertained to simply changing clothes at a friend’s house before a party, which is as innocent as the rest of the book.  Glad to meet you, Sophie!  

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