Lois Lowry's newest book takes us deep into the friendship between two Sophies... one an eleven year old little girl, and the other, her elderly neighbor who knows so much about the world. These two Sophies are best friends and the younger adores her mentor. Until one day, eleven year old Sophie overhears a conversation about her neighbor loosing some of her memory and needing to go live with her son. So she takes it upon herself to coach the elderly Sophie in order that she may pass the cognition test and stay in her home. Throughout the book, young Sophie comes to know more about her friend's past including stories of war, hunger, and family.
This middle grade book goes where most will not. Tree.Table.Book is a heart-felt story of love, loss, and aging. It takes a very difficult topic and presents it in such a way that it's real, but not overwhelming. It's also an incredible story of friendship across the generations, reminding all of us that there's much to be learned from the elderly. This book is sad, and hopeful... filled with compassion and caring... and ultimately acceptance by both parties.
And while I'd love to whole heartedly recommend it, there were two instances that parents should be aware of. One, eleven year old Sophie makes a reference to a game that she plays with elderly Sophie mentioning that "we even have a same-sex couple" and she goes on to describe them. Later, she uses the phrase "D*** it all!" Neither detail added anything to furthering the story and didn't feel like something that was necessary in middle grade fiction.
This is one of those books that I would hesitantly recommend. Ages 8-12 seems too young, but maybe a middle school audience would be more suitable for the topic. Or Tree.Table.Book could be used as a read aloud with discussion. The topic is sweet and relevant, but may be too much for younger audiences to fully comprehend.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
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