What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Genre III

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 2001. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689841140

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW, Sonya Sones captures the energy and anguish of female adolescence. Sophie’s experiences and responses are honest, accurate and emotional. No topic pertinent to young adults has been forgotten. Sophie deals with her feelings about her parents, friends, boyfriends, religion, peers and strangers she didn’t know could hurt her. “By Comparison” reveals how narrow and off target a young person’s perspective can be. “Deleted” gives a candid account of how easy it can be for a young girl to find herself in a dangerous cyber situation. “!!!” depicts an unforgettably romantic moment in Sophie’s life. Readers come along side Sophie in her quest for everlasting love while simultaneously trying to understand her parents’ strained relationship and coping with bad hair days as only a teenage girl can do.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sones seamlessly weaves her 195 free verse poems into an eloquent narrative with a rewarding ending. The poetry is not ornate or complex. Sones writes in a short, occasionally rhythmic style. This makes for nimble poems that cause the reader to gasp out loud or pause reflectively before moving on to the next episode. Sones’s protagonist is resilient, natural and by all accounts a winner. Sophie's voice is conversational and personal. The natural flow from experience to experience makes this novel perfect for reluctant readers as well as those who love to read. The life changing events Sophie faces are skillfully disclosed; even Sones’s dedication is clever and intriguing. Some awards and recognitions this book received include being named a Texas Lone Star State Reading List Choice (2003 – 2004), an International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice (2003), as well as a Booklist Editor's Choice (2001). It was also unanimously chosen as an American Library Association Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2002).

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
KIRKUS: "...romantic and sexy, with a happy ending that leaves Sophie together with Mr. Right, Sones ( Stop Pretending: What Happened when My Big Sister Went Crazy, 1999 ) has crafted a verse experience that will leave teenage readers sighing with recognition and satisfaction."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "...Sones is a bright, perceptive writer who digs deeply into her protagonist's soul... Sones's poems are glimpses through a peephole many teens may be peering through for the first time, unaware that others are seeing virtually the same new, scary, unfamiliar things... Sones's book makes these often-difficult years a little more livable by making them real, normal, and OK."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Other free verse poetry books to share: LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech, DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: LOVE POEMS by Pat Mora
*Ask students to rewrite one of the shorter poems as a narrative instead of a free verse style poem. Compare the two formats. What are their preferences? When the traditional format is possible why is poetry chosen by writers and readers?