What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Sones, Sonya. 2001. What my mother doesn't know. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689841140

Summary:
Written in free verse, the novel is narrated by fourteen-year-old Sophie who is navigating life, love, and high school with varying degrees of success.  In short titled poems, readers learn about Sophie’s fighting parents, best friends, and the birth and slow demise of her relationship with Dylan.  A mystery encounter with a masked man at the Halloween dance fill her with questions and longing, and when his identity is eventually revealed, Sophie must make some mature decisions about her life, identity, and popularity.

Analysis:
Sophie’s voice is authentic and emotional, conveying the confusion, passion, and angst of adolescence without shying away from sensitive topics.  The lines of most of the poems are short but full of imagery and description.  Repetition is used for emphasis in several poems, most notably and effectively in a poem describing the after-effects of a fight with her mother entitled “I Hate Her” in which she details a list of things she hates about her mother most of which have nothing to do with their fight. The concise but descriptive language manages to convey both the action of the narrative and the full range of emotions in a unique way which will connect with teen readers while also resonating with adults who can still remember the elation and tragedy of growing up.

Awards & Reviews:

ALA Best Book for Young Adults (2002) ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2002) International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice (2003) Winner of the Iowa Teen Book Award (2005–2006)

Starred review, Publisher's Weekly:  "With its separate free verse poems woven into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending, Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike."

Starred review & Editor's Choice, Booklist:  "The poetry is never pretentious or difficult; on the contrary, the very short, sometimes rhythmic lines make each page fly."

Starred review, Kirkus Reviews:  "A verse experience that will leave readers sighing with recognition and satisfaction."

Connections:

• Incorporate into a Banned Books Week display, discussion, or Read-Out.  
• Introduce to young writers' group to encourage journaling and authentic voice
• Make connections to the art in the book including Renoit and the Museum of Bad Art (museumofbadart.org)
• Connect readers of the book with the author's website (sonyasones.com) for background information, writing advice, and blog.
• Other novels in verse for young adults:

Herrera, Juan Felipe. 1999. CrashBoomLove: a novel in verse. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0826321135

Sones, Sonya. 2004. One of those hideous books where the mother dies. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689858205

Sones, Sonya. 1999. Stop pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060283874

Sones, Sonya. 2007. What my girlfriend doesn't know. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689876025

Tregay, Sarah. 2012. Love & leftovers: a novel in verse. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books. ISBN 0062023586