Soof written by Sarah Weeks, reviewed by Debra Gantz

 

Summary:  Aurora has heard about Heidi all of her life. Heidi is coming to visit and it has Aurora very nervous, confused, and even angry. She has always had differences. She taps in threes. She colors in o's anywhere she sees them. She has sound sensitivity. Her best friend is her dog, Duck. Most of her teachers and classmates (and possibly even her mother) do not understand her. This year she has Mr. Taylor who is different. He seems to not only understand her differences, he embraces them. Aurora feels safe with him. She has a perfect attendance record at school this year and has no intention of that changing. Then her house is on fire. The tragedy is confounded by her mother's fear that Aurora had something to do with the fire. Will Aurora ever work through the feeling that Heidi's visit is causing all of this commotion in her life?

Straight Talk for Librarians:  This book will stand alone, but having So B. It, the first story with Heidi is a good idea. I am smitten with Sarah Weeks ability to craft a story that is so heartwarming even in tragic situations. Finding out the meaning of Soof is only part of the reason to read this book. Despite the lack of a diagnosis for Aurora, my autistic students will love the behaviors described in this book as they will see similarities with themselves and their classmates. I now have a book to share with my students that is about honesty, fear, tragedy, the love of dogs, and the love of family.