This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
I currently live in Arizona with my wife, Vaneza. After years of writing for several different entertainment-related blogs, I have found new life and vitality by writing fictional stories about young teens and preteens that are entertaining for ALL ages.
I was bullied badly in middle school and high school, and I am of the opinion that not enough books are written on the subject, and those that are come off as preachy or heavy-handed. It was my goal to tell a story that a young person could read and enjoy, a story that would not only entertain them but given them a perspective on a touchy and relevant subject that they may not have had otherwise.
I make it a point to bring an empathic view to all my books, to give readers a view into what it's like for kids at that age when they just start to mature into young adults. For me, it's all about the characters. I love creating characters that jump off the page, that feel like real people no matter how old the reader is. Because without great characters, you really don't have a great story, do you?
Reviewed by Janelle Fila for Readers' Favorite
Sophie's Different (James Madison Series Book 3) by Patrick Hodges is a children’s story for middle school students about the negative aspects of bullying. This book is the third in a series. In this story, a few years have passed since the end of Hodges’ second book, Ethan’s Secret, and bullies are attempting to overrun the school again. But not if Sophie Devereaux has anything to say about it. Sophie doesn’t exactly fit in. At school, she is seen as a misfit. And when Sophie crosses paths with the most popular girl at school, things only get worse. Ayden Saunders is also like Sophie and doesn’t fit in. He’s had his fair share of tragedies in his life, so it is easier for him to watch life instead of participating in it. But when Ayden overhears a nasty plot to ruin Sophie, he knows he has to take action. Together, Sophie and Ayden discover that life is about being authentic and fitting in is overrated.
I really enjoyed Sophie’s Different. I was so excited to read a children’s book that talked about bullying. Bullying is a topic that cannot be talked about too much, and I love seeing it in literature so children can see firsthand how their actions can affect someone negatively, or learn positive ways to react if they are bullied. Hodges did a great job making his characters believable and having them act in ways I felt was natural to them as characters and natural to the story. Readers are just going to fall in love with Sophie!
