What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001. ISB 0-689-841140-0


2. PLOT SUMMARY
The free verse novel revolves around a teenage girl named Sophie as she makes discoveries in love and life while in her first year of high school.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The free verse poetry of the book are usually short and do not rhyme. Most of the poems are about a page long, but there are a few that are more than one page. The book reads very quickly. I was unable to put it down once I started. Each poem is unique in itself, but still connects over a long narrative. Although most poetry needs to be read aloud to appreciate, Sones' poems are beautiful in the silence of a quiet read. The poems sound like a teenager is speaking. I felt like the pages opened to a time machine to my younger years. It was as if I wrote the poetry myself. I felt a deep connection to this book. The poems are filled with figurative language like "I'm dancing with a bunch of girls, bouncing like kernels of popcorn in a hot frying pan" (p.132).  Sonya Sones has embodied the feeling of being high school. You can imagine the lunchroom where she sees her crush for the first time. Your heart will break with Sophie's as she works her way through new relationships. The scenes made me remember what I felt when I was the same age. The emotional impact cannot be measured.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

From Publisher's Weekly: "With its separate free verse poems woven into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending, Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike."

From Kirkus Reviews:  "Romantic and sexy, with a happy ending that leaves Sophie together with Mr. Right, Sones has crafted a verse experience that will leave teenage readers sighing with recognition and satisfaction."

Kate Torpie from Teen Reads: "Sones really captures the nervousness of dating a guy, the way friends can get jealous, the sorrow at realizing that you just don't like him anymore, and finding the strength to love what makes your heart happy. We should all be so brave."


5. CONNECTIONS

Other Books by Sonya Sones:
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy IBN 978-0-06-028387-2
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies IBN  1-4169-0788-2
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know IBN 0-689-87603-3
To Be Perfectly Honest IBN 9780689876059
Saving Red IBN  9780062370280

Lesson Plans:
Alyssa Lumbra has a blog post dedicated to advice on how to teach this novel. Check it out: Don't Teach, Inspire!

Book Rags offers a web page for teachers to assist in teaching the free verse novel to older students. Check it out: Summary and Study Guides