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So B. It #1
So B. It
Now a major motion picture starring Alfre Woodard, Jessica Collins, John Heard, Jacinda Barrett, Cloris Leachman, and Talitha Bateman—in theaters October 2017!
From acclaimed author Sarah Weeks comes a touching coming-of-age story about a young girl who goes on a cross-country journey to discover the truth about her parents, which the New York Times called "a remarkable novel." Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me and Ali Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish.
She doesn't know when her birthday is or who her father is. In fact, everything about Heidi and her mentally disabled mother's past is a mystery. When a strange word in her mother's vocabulary begins to haunt her, Heidi sets out on a cross-country journey in search of the secrets of her past.
Far away from home, pieces of her puzzling history come together. But it isn't until she learns to accept not knowing that Heidi truly arrives.
From acclaimed author Sarah Weeks comes a touching coming-of-age story about a young girl who goes on a cross-country journey to discover the truth about her parents, which the New York Times called "a remarkable novel." Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me and Ali Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish.
She doesn't know when her birthday is or who her father is. In fact, everything about Heidi and her mentally disabled mother's past is a mystery. When a strange word in her mother's vocabulary begins to haunt her, Heidi sets out on a cross-country journey in search of the secrets of her past.
Far away from home, pieces of her puzzling history come together. But it isn't until she learns to accept not knowing that Heidi truly arrives.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2004
840 people are currently reading
15120 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Weeks
102 books507 followersSarah Weeks has been writing children’s books and songs for the past twenty years. She is a graduate of Hampshire College and NYU and recently became an adjunct faculty member in the prestigious Writing Program at the New School University, in New York City.
Her first YA novel, So B. It, which appeared on the LA Times bestseller list was chosen as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and received the 2004 Parent’s Choice Gold Award. In addition to being an author, Sarah is an accomplished singer/songwriter. She has written for television, stage and screen and a number of her picturebooks include songs which she both writes and sings for the accompanying CD’s. Sarah's titles have sold well over a million copies, including several foreign editions.
Sarah is a tireless promoter, visiting schools throughout the country, serving as author-in-residence and speaking to teachers and librarians at national conferences including IRA, ALA and NCTE. She lives in New York City with her two teenage sons.
Her first YA novel, So B. It, which appeared on the LA Times bestseller list was chosen as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and received the 2004 Parent’s Choice Gold Award. In addition to being an author, Sarah is an accomplished singer/songwriter. She has written for television, stage and screen and a number of her picturebooks include songs which she both writes and sings for the accompanying CD’s. Sarah's titles have sold well over a million copies, including several foreign editions.
Sarah is a tireless promoter, visiting schools throughout the country, serving as author-in-residence and speaking to teachers and librarians at national conferences including IRA, ALA and NCTE. She lives in New York City with her two teenage sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,174 reviews
January 17, 2015
This isn't sophisticated high-brow literature, but it is touching and honest, and it got me right in the feels, at least as far as the main storyline goes. Everything else, though, I had some issues with.
Just about every review of this book contains a book-report-like summary, so I'm going to skip that and just talk about my thoughts. I couldn't imagine growing up the way that Heidi did, with a mother who could barely communicate, and definitely not care for herself, and her only other caregiver being an agoraphobic woman. That's such a small life. I don't mean small as in petty, I just literally mean small. Her experience is limited to two small apartments for almost her entire life until shortly before going on her quest. It makes me sad, thinking of all the things that she should have experienced and couldn't - zoos, school, playmates, parks, etc. But I guess you can't miss what you never had.
Which is one of the main themes of this book, actually. Heidi doesn't miss the fact that she never had a father, because she'd never realized that she should have had one. Or a grandmother. These things are not in her understanding until an outside experience brings them up... and then she wonders, and can't let them go. She needs to know who she is and where she came from.
She does find answers, though they are not what she (or I) expected... but for everything that she gained, she lost something else.
I did find this book easy to read and I was caught up in the story - it's a touching coming of age story, and a story about how love isn't really definable by the words we use. But otherwise, I can't help but have a lot of logistical issues with this book.
- How did Heidi and her mama arrive at their apartment in the beginning, when Bernadette finds them? If was taking care of them after they arrived in Reno, it had to be less than a week, and as we have seen, it takes countless rounds of repetition for Mama to learn anything, so I doubt she'd have known how to get back. So after , how did Mama and baby get back to their apartment? Did someone take her? How would they know where to take her? And what kind of person would take a severely mentally disabled person and a newborn and drop them off alone somewhere?
- How does Heidi enroll in school? She has no birth certificate, no social security number, no I-Exist records at all. She's likely never been to a doctor (unless one made house-calls) and almost certainly isn't up on her immunizations. Maybe they don't check for those things in Jr. High, assuming that one would have had all that taken care of in kindergarten or so. But then she has no school records either.
- How does her guardianship work? Is she just flying under the radar of the system? I could see that working when she didn't leave her apartment... but now she's going to school and that involves a whole mess of legalities regarding guardianship, and it is even further complicated by the fact that her unofficial guardian can't leave her house. If Heidi happened to have the bad luck to be picked up by a truant officer, she'd be screwed.
- Are the bills still being paid for her? How is that possible? How can she stay in the apartment? There are no adults residing there (technically, Bernie lives next door), and there has to be SOME paper trail SOMEWHERE indicating this. I mean, certificates had to be filed, and transportation arranged, and services rendered. This stuff doesn't just disappear. Some court clerk somewhere is going to start asking questions, and then the nice cozy little arrangement they have will be shattered.
This book is categorized many times as "realistic fiction", but I disagree. This book wants you to believe that there's a kind of happy ever after here - that things may be different, and knowledge has been gained which changes everything, but mostly it's the same day to day. That it's just that easy. You want it, you go after it, and you get it.
No, sorry - that's not realistic. A can of worms has been opened, and it's not resealable. In real life, there'd be a social worker knocking on the door already, and the next 8 years of her life would be institutional chaos, unless she was taken in by the person who never wanted to know her in the first place, or legally adopted - but there's another mess... Round and round it goes.
This is the kind of book that falls apart if one actually thinks about the situation depicted. We're supposed to just accept it and focus on the quest and the themes and the emotional content, and not worry about the rest. I can't do that. I can admit that the story presented was touching, and I could identify with Heidi wanting to know about her past and being determined to find out about it... but I can't ignore all the other things that bureaucracy would dig its spindly little fingers into.
Just about every review of this book contains a book-report-like summary, so I'm going to skip that and just talk about my thoughts. I couldn't imagine growing up the way that Heidi did, with a mother who could barely communicate, and definitely not care for herself, and her only other caregiver being an agoraphobic woman. That's such a small life. I don't mean small as in petty, I just literally mean small. Her experience is limited to two small apartments for almost her entire life until shortly before going on her quest. It makes me sad, thinking of all the things that she should have experienced and couldn't - zoos, school, playmates, parks, etc. But I guess you can't miss what you never had.
Which is one of the main themes of this book, actually. Heidi doesn't miss the fact that she never had a father, because she'd never realized that she should have had one. Or a grandmother. These things are not in her understanding until an outside experience brings them up... and then she wonders, and can't let them go. She needs to know who she is and where she came from.
She does find answers, though they are not what she (or I) expected... but for everything that she gained, she lost something else.
I did find this book easy to read and I was caught up in the story - it's a touching coming of age story, and a story about how love isn't really definable by the words we use. But otherwise, I can't help but have a lot of logistical issues with this book.
- How did Heidi and her mama arrive at their apartment in the beginning, when Bernadette finds them? If was taking care of them after they arrived in Reno, it had to be less than a week, and as we have seen, it takes countless rounds of repetition for Mama to learn anything, so I doubt she'd have known how to get back. So after , how did Mama and baby get back to their apartment? Did someone take her? How would they know where to take her? And what kind of person would take a severely mentally disabled person and a newborn and drop them off alone somewhere?
- How does Heidi enroll in school? She has no birth certificate, no social security number, no I-Exist records at all. She's likely never been to a doctor (unless one made house-calls) and almost certainly isn't up on her immunizations. Maybe they don't check for those things in Jr. High, assuming that one would have had all that taken care of in kindergarten or so. But then she has no school records either.
- How does her guardianship work? Is she just flying under the radar of the system? I could see that working when she didn't leave her apartment... but now she's going to school and that involves a whole mess of legalities regarding guardianship, and it is even further complicated by the fact that her unofficial guardian can't leave her house. If Heidi happened to have the bad luck to be picked up by a truant officer, she'd be screwed.
- Are the bills still being paid for her? How is that possible? How can she stay in the apartment? There are no adults residing there (technically, Bernie lives next door), and there has to be SOME paper trail SOMEWHERE indicating this. I mean, certificates had to be filed, and transportation arranged, and services rendered. This stuff doesn't just disappear. Some court clerk somewhere is going to start asking questions, and then the nice cozy little arrangement they have will be shattered.
This book is categorized many times as "realistic fiction", but I disagree. This book wants you to believe that there's a kind of happy ever after here - that things may be different, and knowledge has been gained which changes everything, but mostly it's the same day to day. That it's just that easy. You want it, you go after it, and you get it.
No, sorry - that's not realistic. A can of worms has been opened, and it's not resealable. In real life, there'd be a social worker knocking on the door already, and the next 8 years of her life would be institutional chaos, unless she was taken in by the person who never wanted to know her in the first place, or legally adopted - but there's another mess... Round and round it goes.
This is the kind of book that falls apart if one actually thinks about the situation depicted. We're supposed to just accept it and focus on the quest and the themes and the emotional content, and not worry about the rest. I can't do that. I can admit that the story presented was touching, and I could identify with Heidi wanting to know about her past and being determined to find out about it... but I can't ignore all the other things that bureaucracy would dig its spindly little fingers into.
November 24, 2008
So B. It is a hearting warming novel about a young girl named Heidi who wants to know more about her life, where she came from, and who she really is. She lives with her mother who is mentally disabled and only knows 23 words; she also lives with her neighbor Bernadette, who took Heidi and her mother in. Heidi sets off to an adventure to Liberty, New York where she will hopefully find herself, and her mama, some answers. When she arrives she gets a lot of answers, like what soof meant. Unfortunately she gets some very dreadful news. I learned that you shouldn't give up on something you really want to know because once you get the answer everything seems to make sense, and if my review left you with some questions about the book, then I strongly suggest you read the book!
September 23, 2021
another book from my childhood because i'm forever chasing the nostalgia of being young and carefree. i don't believe i ever actually read this book, but it was wildly popular when i was in elementary school and i remember seeing it everywhere. as an adult, the writing style was actually very impressive and i would definitely read more by this author. also, the mystery aspect of it kept me guessing until the very end.
there were a few plotlines that didn't wrap up as nicely as i wish they had, but being a book meant for preteens, i imagine that going that deep into details would've been unnecessary. this was a very addicting book i read in two sittings and i grew to love the cast of characters and the main character's growth.
there were a few plotlines that didn't wrap up as nicely as i wish they had, but being a book meant for preteens, i imagine that going that deep into details would've been unnecessary. this was a very addicting book i read in two sittings and i grew to love the cast of characters and the main character's growth.
December 4, 2008
I loved this book! It was beautifully written and the story drew me right in. Great pieces of wisdom were woven throughout and the book has a very satisfying ending, though not the one I expected. Everyone should read this one, and it would make a great read aloud.
March 5, 2009
Twelve-year-old Heidi, homeschooled by her unofficial guardian and neighbor Bernadette, has a mentally disabled mother and only one friend her age. But she doesn’t seem to have the types of problems I would imagine someone in her situation to have. Heidi is obsessed with discovering the mystery of her past. How did she and her child-like mother arrive at Bernadette’s door in an apartment building in Reno, Nevada when Heidi was just one week old? Heidi’s mother, who calls herself “Sobeit,” and whose entire vocabulary is made up of 23 words, doesn’t have any answers. Heidi’s only clue to her mother’s (and her own) past is one mysterious word her mother often repeats: “soof.” When Heidi finds an old roll of film in the back of a closet, she gets a big clue that takes her—alone—on a cross-country journey to find who or what is “soof.”
This book is about identity, asking questions, and living both with and without the answers. Intelligently and sensitively written, at times poetic, this book was a great read. I was drawn to the mystery aspect and couldn’t put it down.
This book is about identity, asking questions, and living both with and without the answers. Intelligently and sensitively written, at times poetic, this book was a great read. I was drawn to the mystery aspect and couldn’t put it down.
December 1, 2012
If you've ever read a book that haunted you long after the last page ended, then you understand the difficulty in writing a review that expresses the sheer beauty of an incredible tale.
Attempting will be feeble, but here goes:
There is security for 12 year old Heidi. Bernadette, a loving neighbor, provides help and guidance in taking care of her severely mentally challenged mother. Limited in the ability to express words and thoughts, Heidi's mother repeats one word over and over.
Suffering from agoraphobia, Bernadette cannot leave the apartment and thus Heidi's world is a small, safe cocoon of love. Whereas Heidi's mother has few words in her grasp, Bernadette is a voracious reader and avidly searches words and their meaning.
Found by Bernadette when Heidi was an infant, she is well cared for and home schooled by Bernadette. Unlike her mother, Heidi is highly intelligent and thirsts for knowledge. That thirst includes the need to drink from the well of understanding about how her mother arrived in Reno, Nevada at the doorstep of Bernadette.
Knowing they didn't simply drop from the sky, when Heidi finds a box of photos in the back of a closet, one of which indicates a sign of an institution in New York, she stubbornly pursues a journey to find the answer to puzzle pieces that seem disjointed.
Bravely taking a bus from Reno to New York City, meeting a cast of characters along the way, Heidi's journey nets unexpected results.
This is a lyrical, poignant, touching and heart warming book! The writing is wonderful and the emotions expressed and accurately portrayed brought tears and a longing to finish the book, while paradoxically not wanting it to end.
This is what great writing should be. Going out on a limb, I'll wager that you won't be disappointed in reading this ASAP.
Attempting will be feeble, but here goes:
There is security for 12 year old Heidi. Bernadette, a loving neighbor, provides help and guidance in taking care of her severely mentally challenged mother. Limited in the ability to express words and thoughts, Heidi's mother repeats one word over and over.
Suffering from agoraphobia, Bernadette cannot leave the apartment and thus Heidi's world is a small, safe cocoon of love. Whereas Heidi's mother has few words in her grasp, Bernadette is a voracious reader and avidly searches words and their meaning.
Found by Bernadette when Heidi was an infant, she is well cared for and home schooled by Bernadette. Unlike her mother, Heidi is highly intelligent and thirsts for knowledge. That thirst includes the need to drink from the well of understanding about how her mother arrived in Reno, Nevada at the doorstep of Bernadette.
Knowing they didn't simply drop from the sky, when Heidi finds a box of photos in the back of a closet, one of which indicates a sign of an institution in New York, she stubbornly pursues a journey to find the answer to puzzle pieces that seem disjointed.
Bravely taking a bus from Reno to New York City, meeting a cast of characters along the way, Heidi's journey nets unexpected results.
This is a lyrical, poignant, touching and heart warming book! The writing is wonderful and the emotions expressed and accurately portrayed brought tears and a longing to finish the book, while paradoxically not wanting it to end.
This is what great writing should be. Going out on a limb, I'll wager that you won't be disappointed in reading this ASAP.
February 16, 2010
So B It is a delightful story about 12 year old Heidi who is in search of her identity. She lives with her mother who has a mental disability and knows exactly 23 words. Together with their neighbor Bernadette, they live in Reno and get by through Heidi's luck with winning at video games and Bernie's disability check. One of the words that Heidi's mother knows is "soof" and there lies the driving factor to Heidi's travels to find her identity and what the word 'soof' means. Bernie has named Mama So B. It because she feels that everyone deserves to have a middle name.
The story centers around Heidi's unraveling of the mystery surrounding her mother and her travels to New York to discover the truth. It is about coming of age, identity, family and mental disabilities. It is a great read for middle grade students. I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I heart Heidi.
The story centers around Heidi's unraveling of the mystery surrounding her mother and her travels to New York to discover the truth. It is about coming of age, identity, family and mental disabilities. It is a great read for middle grade students. I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I heart Heidi.
June 9, 2020
Light hearted, heart warming and joyful
A nicely written story, the characters are unusual but easy to relate with. Born to a mentally unstable mother, a twelve year old comes of age in order to discover her origin. Bold, fearless and lucky, she proves to be a force to contend with. Light reading, this is the kind of story that brings the reader joy, a quality more authors should embrace!
A nicely written story, the characters are unusual but easy to relate with. Born to a mentally unstable mother, a twelve year old comes of age in order to discover her origin. Bold, fearless and lucky, she proves to be a force to contend with. Light reading, this is the kind of story that brings the reader joy, a quality more authors should embrace!
October 16, 2012
I liked this book. It wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed it. It was a good story about a young girl's life. She had to go through many tough adventures that I don't think a 12 year old girl should have to go through. The book was written by Sarah Weeks. The girl's name was Heidi. She had a Mama who was disabled. Heidi said that her mom had a "bum brain." Her mom can't take care of herself, so she has a neighbor, Bernadette, who watches over them. She is kind of like a guardian to Heidi. Bernadette says, "Its as if they fell right out of the sky." Heidi doesn't know where she was born or what her mom's real name is. Her mom says her name is So B. It, but they all know that isn't true. What kind of mom names her kid So B. It? Mama always says the word soof, and nobody knows why she does it or what it is.
One day, Heidi decides she can't take it anymore. She needs to find out who she is and why her mama always say soof. She desperatly needs to know. Bernadette can't go outside because she has a disorder that if she does step a foot outside she will faint. Heidi finds a photo album and relizes that it is her mom in the past! They are from Liberty, New York. Heidi has never heard of that place, but knows it's a real place. Heidi calls the place that the photographs were taken at and finds out it is a home for the mentally disabled. She desides she needs to go there, now!! Heidi finally convinces Bernadette to let her go, by herself, all the way to Liberty, New York. Heidi takes the long journey and you will never belive what she finds! This is my favorite part of the book because I love the tension in the air when she arives. I am saying in my mind, "Will she find the truth? Will she find nothing?" It kept me reading and I loved it!
Heidi figures out that her mom lived at the mentally disabled home and that is where Heidi was born. Her dad's name is Ethan and he has the same condition as her mom. Turns out that soof wasn't something, it was somebody!! Soof was her mom's nickname. Her dad gave it to her. Her mom's actual name was Sophie, but she was given the nickname, Soof. Heidi stays with some really nive people that work at the home. She stays with them for a few days and realizes they are really nice people. They offer to let her stay there and go to school. Heidi doesn't want to go to school there, she wants to go home. One day she gets a phone call from Bernadette and she says that she needs to get home, NOW! Heidi says no, she will be home tomorrow, she is in the middle of finding out the truth. When Heidi gets home, she gets another call. Her mom went in her sleep. She went when she was sleeping, she thinks its maybe from horrible heaadaches, over and over. Heidi can't believe that her mom died. She is stunned. When she gets home she goes to school and trys to get over it, but can't quite seem to. She gets better and realizes she is lucky she has Bernadette and that she found out about her mom's past. Most of all, she is happy she knows what Soof means.
One day, Heidi decides she can't take it anymore. She needs to find out who she is and why her mama always say soof. She desperatly needs to know. Bernadette can't go outside because she has a disorder that if she does step a foot outside she will faint. Heidi finds a photo album and relizes that it is her mom in the past! They are from Liberty, New York. Heidi has never heard of that place, but knows it's a real place. Heidi calls the place that the photographs were taken at and finds out it is a home for the mentally disabled. She desides she needs to go there, now!! Heidi finally convinces Bernadette to let her go, by herself, all the way to Liberty, New York. Heidi takes the long journey and you will never belive what she finds! This is my favorite part of the book because I love the tension in the air when she arives. I am saying in my mind, "Will she find the truth? Will she find nothing?" It kept me reading and I loved it!
Heidi figures out that her mom lived at the mentally disabled home and that is where Heidi was born. Her dad's name is Ethan and he has the same condition as her mom. Turns out that soof wasn't something, it was somebody!! Soof was her mom's nickname. Her dad gave it to her. Her mom's actual name was Sophie, but she was given the nickname, Soof. Heidi stays with some really nive people that work at the home. She stays with them for a few days and realizes they are really nice people. They offer to let her stay there and go to school. Heidi doesn't want to go to school there, she wants to go home. One day she gets a phone call from Bernadette and she says that she needs to get home, NOW! Heidi says no, she will be home tomorrow, she is in the middle of finding out the truth. When Heidi gets home, she gets another call. Her mom went in her sleep. She went when she was sleeping, she thinks its maybe from horrible heaadaches, over and over. Heidi can't believe that her mom died. She is stunned. When she gets home she goes to school and trys to get over it, but can't quite seem to. She gets better and realizes she is lucky she has Bernadette and that she found out about her mom's past. Most of all, she is happy she knows what Soof means.
August 30, 2013
As a homeschooling mother, I was intrigued by the sound of this YA novel and all the positive reviews.
12-year-old Heidi has a very irregular family unit. Her mentally-disabled mother knows only a total of 23 words, and she and Heidi are both cared for by a loving neighbour, Bernadette, who has such severe agorophobia that just to step into the passage of their apartment building makes her collapse. Heidi longs to know her own biological background and wishes some of her mother's words would drop a few hints. Other than straightforward ones such as 'blue' and 'tea', there is one, 'soof' which puzzles and frustrates her. One day a camera is discovered in a crevice of their apartment revealing some photos taken at a home for the mentally disabled in New York. Heidi is sure it holds the key to her past and sets off alone to discover the mysteries.
The section where she's on the road, meeting strangers aboard the bus takes up such a huge chunk of the book, I felt as if we were traveling with the brakes on. I began to feel stretched beyond suspense to impatience. The story had been geared toward discovering the solution to a possibly intriguing mystery, yet we had to get bogged down with random strangers' small talk for what seemed an indefinite pause. Then, when Heidi finally makes it to the Home, we get what the long interlude was for. It was necessary to flesh out the book, because the longed-for solution turns out to be too pat and easily discovered. Rather than being an "A-ha" moment with appropriate twists and concealments, the story of her past turns out to be nothing more than an awkward 'Ooops' incident that was badly handled by those in charge.
The many plot-holes bothered me too. Heidi's tendency to experience good luck seemed heavy-handed and stretched beyond belief, becoming a convenient plot tool. And surely her grandmother would have left more clues to her own identity than one old camera before she died. It is completely unbelievable that she didn't. Finally when all was revealed, I doubt we'd expect such an extreme attitude from her grandfather, who after all, directed a facility for the mentally disabled. These aspects were niggling.
So sorry, I disagree with those who think this book should be up there with the classics. I'm wondering whether many of the high ratings were because of weirdness and originality. It was weird and original alright, but lacked other essential aspects of a good story.
12-year-old Heidi has a very irregular family unit. Her mentally-disabled mother knows only a total of 23 words, and she and Heidi are both cared for by a loving neighbour, Bernadette, who has such severe agorophobia that just to step into the passage of their apartment building makes her collapse. Heidi longs to know her own biological background and wishes some of her mother's words would drop a few hints. Other than straightforward ones such as 'blue' and 'tea', there is one, 'soof' which puzzles and frustrates her. One day a camera is discovered in a crevice of their apartment revealing some photos taken at a home for the mentally disabled in New York. Heidi is sure it holds the key to her past and sets off alone to discover the mysteries.
The section where she's on the road, meeting strangers aboard the bus takes up such a huge chunk of the book, I felt as if we were traveling with the brakes on. I began to feel stretched beyond suspense to impatience. The story had been geared toward discovering the solution to a possibly intriguing mystery, yet we had to get bogged down with random strangers' small talk for what seemed an indefinite pause. Then, when Heidi finally makes it to the Home, we get what the long interlude was for. It was necessary to flesh out the book, because the longed-for solution turns out to be too pat and easily discovered. Rather than being an "A-ha" moment with appropriate twists and concealments, the story of her past turns out to be nothing more than an awkward 'Ooops' incident that was badly handled by those in charge.
The many plot-holes bothered me too. Heidi's tendency to experience good luck seemed heavy-handed and stretched beyond belief, becoming a convenient plot tool. And surely her grandmother would have left more clues to her own identity than one old camera before she died. It is completely unbelievable that she didn't. Finally when all was revealed, I doubt we'd expect such an extreme attitude from her grandfather, who after all, directed a facility for the mentally disabled. These aspects were niggling.
So sorry, I disagree with those who think this book should be up there with the classics. I'm wondering whether many of the high ratings were because of weirdness and originality. It was weird and original alright, but lacked other essential aspects of a good story.
August 26, 2017
usenmeyip 2017de okuduklarima baktim. annemin kelimeleri hem hikayesi hem de sonunda beni hungur sumuk aglatmasiyla ilk 5e girmis.
12 yasindaki bir kizin engelli annesiyle ilgili gecmisin perdesini aralamasini konu aliyor.
ve soof var ..
guzeldi cok!
12 yasindaki bir kizin engelli annesiyle ilgili gecmisin perdesini aralamasini konu aliyor.
ve soof var ..
guzeldi cok!
October 16, 2012
I liked this book. It wasn't my favorite, but it was still good. It was written by Sarah Weeks. This book was about a girl named Heidi and her Mama who is disabled. Heidi is about 12 because they don't know when she was born. They live with their neighbor Bernedette. Bernedette is also Heidi's gaurdian. Bernedette says "It was as if they had fallen from the sky." Heidi really wants to know who she is. She doesn't know where she was born or what her last name is. She also doenst know any other family members besides Mama and Bernedette. Bernedette has a fear of leaving the house. So Heidi is home schooled. She also has to get the groceries and the things they need.
Mama says a word that know one knows. Soof. Heidi wants to know what it means so bad! She gets very frustrated with Mama. One day Heidi finds a camera in the back of a droor. She developes the film and looks at the pictures. They are pictures of her mom in a place called Liberty. It looks like a home for the handicapped. Her mom and some other people,who are yet to be discovered, are at a Christmas party. She thinks she sees her Grandma. So Heidi goes out on an adventure to Liberty. Bernedette and Mama can't come because of Bernedettes fear and Mama's disability. So Heidi goes alone. She takes a 3 day bus trip to Liberty. When she gets to Liberty she goes straight to the place where Mama stayed in the pictures. The boss won't give her answers because he thinks she wants money from him. So Heidi stays with a employee who is very kind. They make her dinner and clean her up. The next day she goes back to Liberty and gets a phone call from Bernedette. She says Mama died. She went in her sleep. Heidi is very upset and wished she had never left.
Heidi finds out everything she needs to know. She found out what her mom's real name is. Sophia not So B. It. She also finds out who her grandma, grandpa, and father is. Her dad is a disabled man like Mama. His name is Ethan. Also she find out that soof is the name Ethan gave Mama because he couldn't say Sophia. Heidi knows everything, but wishes Mama was still here. Heidi goes back home for the funeral. At the funeral the put stuff in Mama's casket like her tea cup and her favorite snacks. Heidi also writes something special for the funeral about Mama. Heidi is very sad and depressed. It takes a lot of time for her to feel better.
I think the book was very well written. It was interesting and it made you think what would happen next. I like the characters and the whole message. Pay attention to the important things in life like family. I liked the whole consept of it. It made you think, what if you had someone disabled in your family. I really liked this book. I would recommend it to anyone!
Mama says a word that know one knows. Soof. Heidi wants to know what it means so bad! She gets very frustrated with Mama. One day Heidi finds a camera in the back of a droor. She developes the film and looks at the pictures. They are pictures of her mom in a place called Liberty. It looks like a home for the handicapped. Her mom and some other people,who are yet to be discovered, are at a Christmas party. She thinks she sees her Grandma. So Heidi goes out on an adventure to Liberty. Bernedette and Mama can't come because of Bernedettes fear and Mama's disability. So Heidi goes alone. She takes a 3 day bus trip to Liberty. When she gets to Liberty she goes straight to the place where Mama stayed in the pictures. The boss won't give her answers because he thinks she wants money from him. So Heidi stays with a employee who is very kind. They make her dinner and clean her up. The next day she goes back to Liberty and gets a phone call from Bernedette. She says Mama died. She went in her sleep. Heidi is very upset and wished she had never left.
Heidi finds out everything she needs to know. She found out what her mom's real name is. Sophia not So B. It. She also finds out who her grandma, grandpa, and father is. Her dad is a disabled man like Mama. His name is Ethan. Also she find out that soof is the name Ethan gave Mama because he couldn't say Sophia. Heidi knows everything, but wishes Mama was still here. Heidi goes back home for the funeral. At the funeral the put stuff in Mama's casket like her tea cup and her favorite snacks. Heidi also writes something special for the funeral about Mama. Heidi is very sad and depressed. It takes a lot of time for her to feel better.
I think the book was very well written. It was interesting and it made you think what would happen next. I like the characters and the whole message. Pay attention to the important things in life like family. I liked the whole consept of it. It made you think, what if you had someone disabled in your family. I really liked this book. I would recommend it to anyone!
October 27, 2024
The way neighbor Bernadette described it to Heidi, Heidi’s mother’s brain was a broken machine with bent or missing parts. How much so?
Actually, Heidi’s mom doesn’t even know her own name, telling Bernadette when she showed up at a Reno, Nev., apartment with a week-old baby named Heidi; Heidi’s mom insists her name is So Be It. So Heidi didn’t know anything about her own origins, or her mother’s, either — not even Heidi’s own last name, birthplace or her own birthday.
When Heidi finds an old camera and develops the film, she sees a chance to find out who she is — but how can a girl not yet 13 years old get to Liberty, N.Y., where the answers lay?
What an amazing story! Unique, sad, joyful, inspiring. This is a children’s book that adults will adore; like The Little Prince, the adults may well enjoy the novel more than its middle-grade target audience. Five shining stars!
…if we hadn’t had Bernadette, we’d have been in big trouble. Mama didn’t know things. She didn’t understand numbers at all. She couldn’t tell time or use money or the telephone. She only knew one color, blue, and although she could recognize a few letters A and S and sometimes H, she couldn’t read, not even her own name
Actually, Heidi’s mom doesn’t even know her own name, telling Bernadette when she showed up at a Reno, Nev., apartment with a week-old baby named Heidi; Heidi’s mom insists her name is So Be It. So Heidi didn’t know anything about her own origins, or her mother’s, either — not even Heidi’s own last name, birthplace or her own birthday.
When Heidi finds an old camera and develops the film, she sees a chance to find out who she is — but how can a girl not yet 13 years old get to Liberty, N.Y., where the answers lay?
What an amazing story! Unique, sad, joyful, inspiring. This is a children’s book that adults will adore; like The Little Prince, the adults may well enjoy the novel more than its middle-grade target audience. Five shining stars!
August 6, 2012
This review contains spoilers. This was our book club pick this month. Its a children's book that won an award It's a really short read about a 12 year old girl who's mother is very mentally disabled, and they both live next door to a woman who is agoraphobic who more or less takes care of them. The only thing Heidi knows about her mother is that she calls herself So B It, she knows only 23 words and she says the word soof. This leads her on a quest to find the truth about her mother and herself. There were situations in this book that really rubbed me the wrong way regarding Heidi's well being that I won't give away here but her final outcome annoyed me to no end. All in all this is a book about family and knowing who you are and being part of something. It looks like I'm very much in the minority with this one. A pretty good story but just ok for me
May 12, 2019
A bittersweet and heartwarming story that champions the love of family and people who become like family. Heidi and her mom live next door to Bernadette. Agoraphobic Bernadette takes them under her wing when Heidi is just a baby. Heidi's mom says her name is So B. It and is mentally challenged. So we first meet Heidi as a girl who has grown up facing many challenges due to her mom's handicap and neighbor's phobia. The discovery of a roll of undeveloped film sets Heidi off on a cross-country adventure to find answers about her past. Through it all, Bernadette is there for Heidi despite her limitations. I inadvertently read the sequel "Soof" ahead of this one and would most definitely recommend reading them in order for maximum impact.
January 22, 2012
I wish I could remember how I stumbled across this title. I'm glad I did.
One of the things I love about YA fiction is that the books don't mess around. They go straight to the important things; how can someone possibly love me? who am I? how can I survive this trauma? They draw us in, wrap us up in the world of the protagonist, allow us to suffer the poignancy which is life, and then leave us facing the rest of life, usually feeling a bit bruised or tender.
Without being overly dramatic, this book draws us in to some very prickly questions, and the heartbreaking answers.
Recommended for young middle-schoolers.
One of the things I love about YA fiction is that the books don't mess around. They go straight to the important things; how can someone possibly love me? who am I? how can I survive this trauma? They draw us in, wrap us up in the world of the protagonist, allow us to suffer the poignancy which is life, and then leave us facing the rest of life, usually feeling a bit bruised or tender.
Without being overly dramatic, this book draws us in to some very prickly questions, and the heartbreaking answers.
Recommended for young middle-schoolers.
February 11, 2019
I remember reading this in middle school and having it be one of those books that actually really stuck with me. I just watched the movie and really liked it so I highly recommend!
January 28, 2020
3.5 stars ✨
April 17, 2017
It's a good story.
November 24, 2022
در عین سادگی و کوتاهی، چقدر قشنگ و دلنشین بود.
برای کسانی که میپرسسن چه کتابی برای شروع کتابخوانی و علاقهمند شدن به کتاب خوبه، انتخاب مناسبیه.
بااینکه خیلی کتابهای پیچیده و متنوعی خوندم، بازم سادگی و شرایط خاص این کتاب بهم حس خوبی داد.
برای کسانی که میپرسسن چه کتابی برای شروع کتابخوانی و علاقهمند شدن به کتاب خوبه، انتخاب مناسبیه.
بااینکه خیلی کتابهای پیچیده و متنوعی خوندم، بازم سادگی و شرایط خاص این کتاب بهم حس خوبی داد.
July 8, 2014
Natasha read this as part of her 40-genre reading challenge at school. She was really enjoying it, then she was crying at the end. but she really wanted me to read it. I started pretty much the moment she finished.
This is the story of a 12 year old girl named Heidi living in an apartment in Reno with her mentally disabled mother and a helpful neighbor with agoraphobia. Heidi finds some clues to her own background which she pursues in order to find out whether she has more family.
Yeah, I wept like anything, mostly at the sheer pointlessness.
I expect I'll be bitter a long time.
This is the story of a 12 year old girl named Heidi living in an apartment in Reno with her mentally disabled mother and a helpful neighbor with agoraphobia. Heidi finds some clues to her own background which she pursues in order to find out whether she has more family.
Yeah, I wept like anything, mostly at the sheer pointlessness.
I expect I'll be bitter a long time.
September 17, 2013
“Another flash of lighting spilt the sky, followed by a boom of thunder so loud, it rattled the windows behind me. Rain coming down hard and fast at an angle, and I had to jump over several large puddles to get to the tiny little storefront two doors down with a faded cardboard sign in the window I hadn’t noticed before. ABC cab. This detailed quote is from the amazing book So B. It by Sarah Weeks. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and I would definitely recommend this book to a friend because it’s very well described and a big mystery unravels at the end.
My first reason I would recommend this book is because of its strong meaning. A direct quote I found is “’Here we are’ said the driver, stopping at the bottom of the long dirt driveway. ‘You’re sure it’s still open?’ ‘I’m sure,’ I said. ‘See? There are lights on up there.’ ‘Oh yeah, I see. Well, I brought a fare up here once years ago, and I think I remember there’s no good place to turn around up top, so since it ain’t raining no more, you mind walking up?” I think this quote demonstrates a strong meaning because Heidi the girl wanted to go even though the cab driver said the old hotel was closed. This book ends with a giant mystery that unfolds.
The amazing mystery is the answer to who is Soof! A quote that helps unravel the mystery is “’Who are you?’ the woman asked. Elliot answered for me. ‘Soof,’ he said talking hold of my hand and looking over at her with the same wide smile he’d given me before. To figure out who is Soof and how Elliot knows Heidi you should definitely read the book So B. It!
January 2, 2012
Heidi doesn't remember how she and her mother, So B. It, came to live in Reno. As their neighbor, Bernadette, puts it, they just seemed to "fall out of the sky." Out of them all, Heidi is by far the most normal. Heidi's mother is severely mentally disabled, and Bernadette is agoraphobic and hasn't left her house in years.
Heidi's mother has a vocabulary of 23 words - but there's only one word out of those 23 that interests Heidi: soof. She has no idea what it means and she becomes obsessed with finding out. Her journey takes her far from home to Liberty, NY, where she learns that some things just can't be known.
What a strange and beautiful story this was. Has anyone written about a mentally disabled parent before for this audience (kids)? There's humor and simple wisdom to be found here, as well as spirited determination, and the solving of a mystery. Bittersweet in the end, Heidi discovers that the most important thing is not always finding the answer.
Excerpt:
"When she first explained it to me, I thought she said she had angora phobia. I looked it up in M.B.F. (Man's Best Friend), which is what we called the big Webster's dictionary we kept on the coffee table in the living room. It said a phobia was a fear and angora was a long-haired animal, usually a goat or a rabbit. I wasn't sure why, but when you put them together, according to Bernadette, it meant you were afraid to leave your house." (p. 7)
Heidi's mother has a vocabulary of 23 words - but there's only one word out of those 23 that interests Heidi: soof. She has no idea what it means and she becomes obsessed with finding out. Her journey takes her far from home to Liberty, NY, where she learns that some things just can't be known.
What a strange and beautiful story this was. Has anyone written about a mentally disabled parent before for this audience (kids)? There's humor and simple wisdom to be found here, as well as spirited determination, and the solving of a mystery. Bittersweet in the end, Heidi discovers that the most important thing is not always finding the answer.
Excerpt:
"When she first explained it to me, I thought she said she had angora phobia. I looked it up in M.B.F. (Man's Best Friend), which is what we called the big Webster's dictionary we kept on the coffee table in the living room. It said a phobia was a fear and angora was a long-haired animal, usually a goat or a rabbit. I wasn't sure why, but when you put them together, according to Bernadette, it meant you were afraid to leave your house." (p. 7)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2017
It doesn't happen often, but my rating for this book is purely on an emotional level. In spite of the many plot holes and the ginormous leaps over reality, I was completely pulled into this story. It is a middle grade book with a 12 year old girl named Heidi as the MC. She is living a unique life that consists of a mentally handicapped mother, a neighbor with severe limitations herself and a secret that needs to be discovered. I've never read anything quite like this. I liked the twists, even as improbable they were. Very creative.
March 18, 2016
This book just makes you want to cry at the end! This is my second time reading it and I still felt like I was going to cry! It is just an amazing book!!!!
November 10, 2015
A student checked this book out from the library for me to read because it was one of her favorite books in elementary school. It was absolutely charming and a little bit magical.
October 11, 2020
This was a quick read, but packed with emotion. Heidi is very much a normal 12-year-old despite a family and a past that is anything but typical. She believes finding out where she came from will tell her who she is. This is a lesson so many adults still haven't learned- who you are comes from within and has little to do with where you started. While some topics are a bit dark for the target audience, they are broached tactfully and are in no way explicit.
September 20, 2013
For my summer reading I read So B. It by Sarah Weeks and I really liked the story. The message of the story is that even though you may be little and you have a tough life, doesn’t mean you can’t do great things. I found the book easy to read because I never wanted to put the book down. I have 3 reasons for why I really like the story. It is inspirational, I like the writing style, and I can relate to the main character.
So B. It is very inspirational and the ending really surprised me. The main character in the story, Heidi, is a young girl who wants to find out more about her family. So she sets off to New York all by herself to discover her past. One quote I found was “I smiled. Turns out my luck hadn’t deserted me after all. I stood there with that big jar of jelly beans in my arms, thinking just because you can’t feel something doesn’t mean its not there.” I like this quote because she’s lost and all alone in New York, but she finds happiness in a jar of jelly beans. It’s the little things that count.
I found another quote that’s inspirational and it also has to do with the ending. It is, “I looked outside the window and caught sight of a girl standing in the rain, her long tangled wet hair framing a narrow, serious face. For a split second I wondered what that girl was and what she was doing out there all alone, and then our mouths fell open at the same time as I realize I was looking at myself reflected in the window glass. She was me, Heidi it.” This quote is one of my favorite passages in the book because at first I didn’t know who it was until she reveals it is herself.
Another reason for why I really liked the story is the author’s writing style is descriptive and she painted a picture in my mind. One quote that I think is descriptive is, “And I walked across the room past all that was missing, thorough the door, and into the light that shone like a sweet wide smile over all that was actually there. When I read this passage I can clearly see a picture in my mind which I really like. Another quote that I find descriptive is, “I was worried, but I was sure that Bernie was even more worried than me. I knew she was at home in Reno with mama, but for the first time ever, Bernie didn’t know where I was. Fly under the radar, she had said to me all those times, but now I was out there without any radar to fly under. I like this quote because it paints a picture in my mind also and I can feel how she’s feeling.
Since I can feel how Heidi is feeling, I can relate to her which leads to my third reason. One passage that I can relate to her in the story is, “I knew I should tell her that I was fine, and that I made it to Liberty in one piece, but the moment I heard her voice, I feel apart. The knot that had begun to form way back in Cheyenne when the lines had first gone down, and had turned knuckle-white hard after I’d discovered my money had been stolen, began to uncurl, and as it loosened, everything I had been holding back to the surface. I can relate to her because I too have felt like everything was going wrong and not being able to hold my feelings in. This story not only has a good message, but it also has surprising twists to make it a great book.
March 12, 2009
VOYA: 4Q4P
So B. It
Sarah Weeks
Pre-Reading/Anticipatory Thoughts: The cover looks appealing. I’m not really sure what this is supposed to be about, be it looks like it would be about some sort of hip-style alternate spelling, which suggests an urban background. This does not work with the picture of a girl flying a kite on the cover, however. So really, just by looking at the book I’m not sure what to expect.
During Reading: The story is written in a straightforward prose that moves quickly along the story line and doesn’t get too caught up on description. The pages tend to go pretty quickly. I like the unusual characteristics of a girl who is brought up by someone who is afraid to go outside and a mother who is mentally disabled. It reminds me a little bit of the movie “I am Sam” and the sort of terror I feel when I realize that something as needy as a baby could be in the hands of someone who does not fully understand how to do what the child needs them to do.
After Reading: The ending is moving, and the quest to discover the word “soof” combined with the poignant realization not only of the word’s source, but more importantly, of what her mother meant by it, makes the book hit home. This is a story about discovery and loss, about how a quest to understand where you came from can lead you to places you never thought you would visit. Heidi learns a lot about herself on her ride to Liberty, New York, but those lessons come at a high premium: it is only when she finally understands how she came to live in Reno and the details of her birth and family that she can step outside of the protective cocoon that Bernadette has built around her and see the world.
Ideas for Future Teaching: The story is compelling and an easy read, so it should be accessible to students. Often pupils, especially those in the middle grades, feel like there is a disconnect between themselves and their parents, so the physiological space between Heidi and her mother might reflect emotional distance in their real lives. This is a very interesting way to bring diversity into the classroom and give students a perspective about what it means to be handicapped. Also, throughout the story, we learn that handicaps can manifest themselves in different ways, whether it be the agoraphobia of Bernadette or the hopelessness of Ruby and Roy. This might prompt interesting discussion in the classroom about the different levels and meanings of disability.
So B. It
Sarah Weeks
Pre-Reading/Anticipatory Thoughts: The cover looks appealing. I’m not really sure what this is supposed to be about, be it looks like it would be about some sort of hip-style alternate spelling, which suggests an urban background. This does not work with the picture of a girl flying a kite on the cover, however. So really, just by looking at the book I’m not sure what to expect.
During Reading: The story is written in a straightforward prose that moves quickly along the story line and doesn’t get too caught up on description. The pages tend to go pretty quickly. I like the unusual characteristics of a girl who is brought up by someone who is afraid to go outside and a mother who is mentally disabled. It reminds me a little bit of the movie “I am Sam” and the sort of terror I feel when I realize that something as needy as a baby could be in the hands of someone who does not fully understand how to do what the child needs them to do.
After Reading: The ending is moving, and the quest to discover the word “soof” combined with the poignant realization not only of the word’s source, but more importantly, of what her mother meant by it, makes the book hit home. This is a story about discovery and loss, about how a quest to understand where you came from can lead you to places you never thought you would visit. Heidi learns a lot about herself on her ride to Liberty, New York, but those lessons come at a high premium: it is only when she finally understands how she came to live in Reno and the details of her birth and family that she can step outside of the protective cocoon that Bernadette has built around her and see the world.
Ideas for Future Teaching: The story is compelling and an easy read, so it should be accessible to students. Often pupils, especially those in the middle grades, feel like there is a disconnect between themselves and their parents, so the physiological space between Heidi and her mother might reflect emotional distance in their real lives. This is a very interesting way to bring diversity into the classroom and give students a perspective about what it means to be handicapped. Also, throughout the story, we learn that handicaps can manifest themselves in different ways, whether it be the agoraphobia of Bernadette or the hopelessness of Ruby and Roy. This might prompt interesting discussion in the classroom about the different levels and meanings of disability.
February 28, 2016
Is anyone in your family mentally disabled? Have you ever wanted to find out about your past? This book is realistic fiction, I know this because the events that happen in this book can really happen to anyone. (Even the unfortunate ones.) I really liked this book because it tells you about Heidi, Bernie, and Heidi's mama.
In this book, it tells you that for thirteen years, Heidi and Heidi's momma have been taken care of by their neighbor Bernie. Heidi's momma is mentally disabled and can only say twenty three words. But one day, Heidi's momma says a word that changes her forever, "Soof." This book is person vs. self. I know this because Heidi tries to find out who her and her momma really are. When Heidi finds some old photos of what looks to be her mother, she looks at the background and then sees where her momma was. This leads Heidi to New York, Liberty.
A major event that changed the character is when Heidi's momma died. This changed the main character Heidi because, she loved and cared about her a lot and didn't want her to die. Especially while she was away in New York, Liberty. Also Heidi feels that it's her fault because she wasn't there back home with her momma to say goodbye.
First person point of view affects this story greatly because you get to really bond with the main character Heidi, and get to feel how she feels, and get to know what she thinks. I think that's a key point especially in this book because, like for example when her momma dies. You as the reader get to really feel how she feels, and how sad she is about the whole incident.
In conclusion, I would definitely rate this book a 5 star, because I really liked this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes heart warming stories or to anybody that likes to cry while reading a book. I usually never cry when reading sad books, but this book made me cry when the whole incident with momma happened. After reading this book I have learned to never take anyone that you love for granted because when you least expect it they could be gone forever.
In this book, it tells you that for thirteen years, Heidi and Heidi's momma have been taken care of by their neighbor Bernie. Heidi's momma is mentally disabled and can only say twenty three words. But one day, Heidi's momma says a word that changes her forever, "Soof." This book is person vs. self. I know this because Heidi tries to find out who her and her momma really are. When Heidi finds some old photos of what looks to be her mother, she looks at the background and then sees where her momma was. This leads Heidi to New York, Liberty.
A major event that changed the character is when Heidi's momma died. This changed the main character Heidi because, she loved and cared about her a lot and didn't want her to die. Especially while she was away in New York, Liberty. Also Heidi feels that it's her fault because she wasn't there back home with her momma to say goodbye.
First person point of view affects this story greatly because you get to really bond with the main character Heidi, and get to feel how she feels, and get to know what she thinks. I think that's a key point especially in this book because, like for example when her momma dies. You as the reader get to really feel how she feels, and how sad she is about the whole incident.
In conclusion, I would definitely rate this book a 5 star, because I really liked this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes heart warming stories or to anybody that likes to cry while reading a book. I usually never cry when reading sad books, but this book made me cry when the whole incident with momma happened. After reading this book I have learned to never take anyone that you love for granted because when you least expect it they could be gone forever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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