What My Mother Doesn't Know 
by Sonya Sones 
ISBN  0689855532

Plot Summary

Sophie is a boy-crazy teenager.  Sophie tells the story of her first love and a few more.  Sophie is a 9th grader in high school.  Sophie tells her story of her first love that she soon realizes is not the one for her, so she moves on.  Sophie then finds a smooth talker online but before they get to meet the guy is no good, and it is over.  Finally, Sophie finds the guy she seems to fit with but doesn't fit with the rest of her friends.  Sophie has decisions to make and family situations that take readers high school.



Critical Review

What My Mother Doesn’t Know is a novel written in free verse consisting of fast-paced short poems.  The novel is a narration that sounds like a recount of Sophie’s 9th-grade year as she falls for different boys: Lou, Chaz and then Murphy.  Ms. Sones adds poems about Murphy throughout the book as a social outcast.  Sophie sometimes pities Murphy but likes at the same time. The daydreaming of the mysterious Murphy helps add to the emotion of her falling for Murphy at the end of the book.

 The short poems pack powerful emotion as told from Sophie's point of view.  The language used in the poetry is relatable for a young adult or teenager.  Sophie discusses a variety of themes:
"Why I Don't Mind Being an Only Child," "I Hate Her', "After the Fight with Mom"- family
“Ice Capades," "Growing Up and Out"-coming of age
"E-mail from Rachel and Grace," "Walking Home from School with Rachel and Grace"- friendship
"Cyber Soul Mate," "Distracted in Math Class"-attraction to boys and teenage angst

Ms. Sones uses several different styles in her short poems to reflect the emotion and theme.  Some of the poems include rhyme.  Most of the poems are free verse with no particular rhyme.  The rhythm and spacing of the words throughout the book are what provides emotion in such an efficient manner.  For example from “Guess Who?” on p. 132-
I
stop
breathing.

"What My Mother Doesn't Know" is an excellent novel that is all about being a teenager and the author does a great job with language that sounds like it comes straight out of the girl's mind.

Awards and Reviews
South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award (2004)
Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award Nominee (2002)
 Iowa Teen Award (2006), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2004)


SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “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 (parents having nuclear meltdowns, meeting a boyfriend's parents, crying for no apparent reason).”— OCTOBER 2001

BOOKLIST:  “The poetry is never pretentious or difficult; on the contrary, the very short, sometimes rhythmic lines make each page fly.  Sophie’s voice is colloquial and intimate and the discoveries she makes are beyond formula, even while they are as sweetly romantic as popular song.  A natural for reluctant readers, this will also attract young people who love to read.”  NOVEMBER 1, 2001.



Connections:

Gather the companion book by Sonya Sones:
What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know ISBN 0689876025

Gather other books by Sonya Sones:
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies ISBN 1416907882
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy
ISBN 0064462188
To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based on an Untrue Story
 ISBN 0689876041

Have students do an author study of Sonya Sones.

Have students create a free verse poem about something that is going on in their lives.

Gather other books that are novels in poems:
The Things Left Unsaid ISBN 0786837454
Brown Girl Dreaming ISBN 0399252517
The Crossover ISBN 0544289595














References:

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn’T Know. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003.


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