Hey, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Tonya
Duncan Ellis and her new book, “Sophie Washington: Mismatch”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish
Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in
this post.
Be sure to make it to the
end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Tonya
and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping
by! Wishing you lots of luck in this
fabulous giveaway!
Sophie Washington: Mismatch
by Tonya Duncan Ellis
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GENRE: Children's Middle Grade
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BLURB:
Game. Set. Match.
Sophie
Washington is trying out for the tennis team, and she’s excited to get a chance
to play with her good friends Chloe and Mariama. That is until wacky Coach
Quackenbush matches her with school misfit, Mackenzie “Big Mac” Clark, and
things quickly go downhill. Sophie has nothing in common with her partner, who
does odd things like run off the court in the middle of practice, and she’s
disappointed when Mackenzie shows no interest in the secret handshake she made
up. After getting called out by the coach, being hit on the head with a tennis
ball, and jokingly called the “most valuable player,” by mean older girls on
the team, when she’s clearly not, Sophie’s ready to throw in the towel. Trying
to fit in with the mean girls by making fun of Mackenzie behind her back makes
things worse. Mackenzie starts skipping practice, and then gets sick at school,
and Sophie realizes that there’s more to her doubles partner than meets the
eye. What started out as a total mismatch could be the best partnership of all.
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EXCERPT TWO:
To
get us ready for our upcoming match against our rival school, St. Regis, Coach
Quackenbush has us play practice matches. Valentina’s grandma has to work late
and is picking her up at four-thirty this afternoon, and Toby and Nathan’s
track practice was cancelled because their coach is out of town, so they come
to watch us.
“Do
good for me guys!” says Valentina from the nearby mini bleachers. “Let’s go!
Vamanos!”
“All right, we’ve gone over the rules of
tennis earlier today, so you know how to keep score,” says Coach Quackenbush.
He’s wearing a whistle around his neck and carries his usual clipboard. “I want
you to play each other, and the team that wins two out of three games will be
declared the winner. Since we only have three singles players, I’ll work with
Kennedy while Lindsey and Jackie go against each other. All right. Let’s see
how we do, team!”
“All
right!” we all parrot.
“Good
luck in your matches, guys,” Chloe says to the eighth-grade girls.
“We
don’t need luck unlike you little sixth graders,” says Kennedy. “We have
talent.”
She
and the older girls flounce off to their courts.
“Whatever,”
says Chloe with a roll of her eyes.
“They
think they are ‘all that’ just because they were on the team last year,” says
Mariama. “I’d love to beat them in a game.”
“Forget
them,” I say and pick up a can of new tennis balls Coach Quackenbush left on
the court for us. “Come on, let’s get going.”
“Okay, let’s get started,” says Chloe. Her
frilly red tennis skirt swings around her hips as she smacks the ball to us for
the first serve. It bounces high in the air toward me.
“I
got it!” I race forward.
“Mine!”
Mackenzie comes over to my side of the court from the other direction.
Surprised at her quick movement, I stumble.
Wham!
We
run into each other. The ball bounces off my head, and I stagger to keep from
falling.
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MY BOOK REVIEW:
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!
Did you find this review helpful?
If so, please, please, please mark it as
helpful on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R19XTHLMX8OC9A
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MY ADDITIONAL
BOOK SERIES POSTS & REVIEWS:
Check out my other Sophie Washington Book Series Posts &
Reviews:
Sophie
Washington: Queen Bee – Book One – Review
Sophie
Washington: The Snitch – Book Two – Guest Post https://fabulousandbrunette.blogspot.com/2018/01/sophie-washington-snitch-by-tonya.html
Sophie
Washington: The Gamer – Book Four – Review
Sophie
Washington: Hurricane – Book Five – Review
Sophie
Washington: Secret Santa – Book Six – Review
Sophie
Washington: Code One – Book Seven – Review
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AUTHOR BIO:
Tonya Duncan Ellis is
the author of the Amazon bestselling, Readers' Favorite "Five Star"
rated, Sophie Washington children's books series, geared toward readers ages 8
to 12, and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and
Illustrators (SCBWI). She has received awards for literary excellence, worked
as a journalist and freelance magazine writer, and is a graduate of Centre
College of Kentucky and Washington University in St. Louis.
The
Sophie Washington book series recounts the adventures of a precocious African
American preteen from Houston, TX and her diverse group of friends. Each funny
and heartwarming story teaches lessons about friendship, responsibility, truthfulness
and perseverance. Books in the series include Queen of the Bee, The Snitch,
Things You Didn't Know About Sophie, The Gamer, Hurricane, Mission: Costa Rica,
Secret Santa, Code One and Mismatch.
Tonya
loves to travel and has visited 49 American states and three continents, but
some of her best journeys have been between the pages of a novel. As a girl she
could always be found with a book in her hand, and reading is still one of her
favorite hobbies. When she's not reading or writing, the author likes to ride
her bike, swim, and spend time with her husband and three children. She lives
in Missouri City, TX.
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CONNECT WITH TONYA:
Website:
Email & Newsletter:
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BookBub Author Page:
BookBub Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page:
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle eBook:
Amazon Paperback:
Amazon Hardcover:
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
Barnes and Noble Hardcover:
The Book Depository Paperback:
The Book Depository Hardcover:
BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:
BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Tonya will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to
a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this
blog. This does not cost you anything,
it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored
by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish
Promotions. Prizes are given away by the
sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish
Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Tonya ~ Good morning! Welcome back! It is always a pleasure to have you here! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! I really enjoyed reading and reviewing your book, thanks for providing the copy! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI'm blown away by your review Ally! I love your expressive writing, and how you capture so many nuances in the story. I'm sorry you had to overcome such struggles as a child. I just want to hug your 11-year-old self!! Thank you for supporting my series and for featuring me once again on your blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and wonderful tour, I've definitely enjoyed following it and learning more about Mismatch - I'm looking forward to sharing such a wonderful book with my niece!
ReplyDeleteHope she likes it! Thanks for following along my tour Victoria!
DeleteI liked the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see you again on my tour Rita. I appreciate you taking time to learn about my book!
ReplyDelete