A delightful book with lovable best friends, young and old Sophie. I love how this story this dips into truths about living in WW2 at a level appropriate for children. A new classic from Lois Lowry!

Lois Lowry introduces the reader to two Sophies, a young girl and an elderly woman who develop a caring and loving relationship. As the elder Sophie shows signs of losing short term memory, she reveals stories from long ago. But, there is a time in the present when her memory loss is addressed. Tree, Table, Book is a warm and lovely story, not just for children.

This book is told from the point of view of an 11-year-old child. She describes her neighborhood and the people there as well as school experiences. The main theme of the story is the friendship between the elderly Sophie and the y0ung Sophie. It was good that the elderly lady was portrayed in a positive light. Her story is the story of many elderly people. The chapters are very short and there are many of them, and the story seemed to drag along in the beginning. It was however a story filled with some sadness as well as humor and joy of kindness and friendship. This is a story for kids and adults alike, a reminder to treasure friendships in all their different forms.

I received this advanced reader copy from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I don’t care how old you are or if you like Middle Grade literature, I think you should read this book. It’s a quick read but so powerful and emotional, and so much meaning is expertly layered into the story. I mean, it’s Lois Lowry for goodness’ sake! I admire her so much, not just because of her amazing writing, but also because of her perspective of literature for children and how it promotes human connection. Her older and well-known works inspired me as a student, and her newer works and thoughts on the genre as a whole have guided me as a children’s librarian.

ANYWAY, back to the book. (Sorry not sorry for gushing.). The friendship between the two Sophies and their connection is something that spoke straight into my heart and will stick with me for a long time. Told from the younger Sophie’s point of view, the world seems at once so simple and so confusing at the same time. Both Sophies live so authentically and see their worlds in such interesting ways… I thought over and over how much I wished that these characters (including the supporting characters - I especially adored Oliver who reminded me very much of my oldest son) were people I could know in real life.

It’s interesting to me that this book deals with intergenerational relationships, and it is actually a tool that will promote this connection. I feel that this book is meant to be shared. I plan to encourage teachers and parents to read this book aloud with children. The topics of dementia as well as older Sophie’s stories (I don’t want to spoil anything!) are going to naturally foster rich discussion and curiosity. While this book is powerful when read on its own, I think its potential as a shared reading experience is limitless.

I hope this is a book that finds its way into the hands of many readers, and I feel thankful that it found its way into mine!

While I have only read a few of Lois Lowry's many books (The Giver, Number the Stars, and The Willoughbys series), when I saw her latest on NetGalley, I requested it right away. Tree. Table. Book. is a tale of 2 Sophies - one young (age 11) and one older (age 88). They are neighbors as well as best friends. Young Sophie is wise beyond her years and has more in common with the older Sophie's generation. Their friendship takes a sad turn when the senior Sophie starts exhibiting signs of dementia. Young Sophie sets herself on a mission to prove that her best friend does NOT need to move across the country to a care home closer to her son. Along the way, she discovers that her friend has some stories to tell, some of which are hard to hear.

This book is a sweet reminder of how much we can learn from our elders. It's also about accepting the things we cannot change and loving our friends throughout their challenges. Circumstances may change, but friendship is forever.

My only criticism of this book is that, at times, the narrator's behavior and thinking were very juvenile compared to her overall demeanor. I also wish the book were longer so that I could learn more about the elderly Sophie's earlier years.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and NetGalley for a review copy of Tree. Table. Book.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to return to a long time favorite author, Lois Lowry. How I remember years, ok decades, ago reading her books from the local library, Number the Stars, the Anastasia books. Tree. Table, Book. this is a treasure of a book, a loving story of two Sophie/Sophia's, one young and growing into herself and one older, perhaps losing a bit of herself and for me the elegance of their friendship and this story is magical in how the main character's youthful voice is both young and wise all at once, in that way that young people are. A story that could be sad, and tinges of sadness hover at the edges of the story, becomes a story of understanding others and self, which is always what a Lois Lowry book is really about. This book is an excellent book for anyone and really great for young readers who maybe need support understanding older loved ones (or just because a book like this builds empathy overall).

A tender and deep portrayal of cross-generational friendship. The two Sophie's couldn't be more different in age or experience, but the gentleness they treat each other with radiates from the book. The story broaches the top of aging and dementia with care and does not seek to just ease a young person's fear about losing someone they are about, but also manages to share hope for their own future.

I loved reading this sweet story about the two Sophie’s. I wanted more of Sophie’s life growing up in WW2!! Especially when she talked about being a daughter to a Catholic woman - I wanted to know more about her. I loved all the side characters and even the ones you aren’t supposed to like. (Sophie’s son). I wish Margaret had become Sophie’s caretaker but overall this was a sweet lovely little story.

👧👵Subtle storytelling that captures the heart😍

The overriding word I would use to describe Lois Lowry's Tree. Table. Book. is touching. Touching in the strong bond between an eleven year old girl and her octogenarian neighbor Sophie Gershowitz. Touching in the way the girl reacts to her friend's failing memory. Touching in the stories of the older Sophie's youth in WWII Europe that are uncovered. And touching in the way the residents of the neighborhood respect young Oliver's neurodivergency.

Young Sophie recognizes a problem and attempts to measure and fix it, to save her best friend from a move out of her home to assisted living. I think young readers would find the sensitive yet realistic discussion of cognitive decline particularly useful as they are likely to be dealing with similar issues in their own extended families. Perhaps the most striking part of the story for youthful readers will be the acknowledgment that not every problem can be fixed but that does not make the situation hopeless.

Parents and children will find this book meaningful. I was certainly taken with it and the way it's told through the eyes of an eleven year old. I was especially impressed with the way Lowry handled the disintegration of Sophie Gershowitz's family in Poland without overt mention of the violence of war and the Holocaust. The heartbreak and tragedy is so nuanced that it moves even when only hinted at by the fateful exchange of a book and a shawl.

Thanks to Clarion Books/HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

My review will be shared on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, kobo and Bookbub either before or upon publication.

Neighbors Sophie Winslow and Sophie Gershowitz are best friends. They are also 77 years apart in age, making their relationship unusual and unique. When the Sophie G. (the elder Sophie) begins to have memory problems, younger Sophie determines to give her friend some help so she will pass the cognitive tests Sophie G’s son is making her take. In the process, stories from Sophie G’s past are shared, and the younger Sophie comes to place even more value on the precious friendship. Filled with themes of compassion, caring, and kindness, this latest book from a renowned author will not disappoint.

Lois Lowry has written many wonderful books and this one ranks right up there with the best of them. The story of 11 year old Sophia and her dearest friend Sophie, who happens to be 88 years old, is thoughtful, warm, sad and happy, all stirred together beautifully. When Sophia finds out that Sophie’s son is having his mom evaluated for possible dementia and may move her into an assisted living facility closer to him and far away from her, she sets her mind on fixing the problem. But in the course of some sharing of memories of her childhood in the midst of World War II and some careful observations of a young neighbor friend who is likely on the spectrum, Sophia comes to some very tough realizations: 1) some problems can’t be fixed, and 2) some things that seem like problems really aren’t. I read Tree.Table.Book through in one sitting and know that this will be a book that readers of Barbara O’Connor, Cynthia Lord, Lisa Graff, and maybe even Gordon Korman and Jordan Sonnenblick will connect with. Text is free of profanity, sexual content, and violence. Representation: Jewish, Catholic, Methodist and non-religious families; single mom, older widow and traditional two parent homes. Highly recommended for grades 4-7.

Note: Not too thrilled with the cover art and think that librarians will need to put it into the hands of potential readers, create shelf talkers, include in an author talk of Lowry works, etc. until the word gets out.

I love all of Lois Lowry's books. Nothing can top the Giver quartet, but this is a great read for kids.

Sophie, our young narrator, is writing a book primarily to do with her elderly best friend of the same name. Unfortunately she overhears that Sophie maybe getting dementia. She begins testing her cognition by having her memorize words to help with her cognitive test. As the story progresses, Sophie learns the real life experiences of her best friend surviving and leaving Poland as a Jewish girl in WW2.

This is a lovely book and a perfect pairing for Lois Lowry's earlier book Number the Stars.

This digital review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children's books for my review copy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I love Lois Lowry - she has always been one of my favorite authors (especially The Giver). Her books are intended for young audiences, but that means nothing for the quality - her stories are beautifully written, wonderfully full, and will always leave you feeling something (I usually cry) - and Tree Table Book is no exception.

This short, 200 page novel captures so much humor and emotion in so few pages. I loved our narrator, Sophie, a precocious 11 year old girl who's best friend is an 88 year old woman, also named Sophie. I laughed at her 11-year-old logic; cried as she was forced to reckon with hard realities (dementia, WW2, etc.); and wholeheartedly believed that an 11 year old wrote it because of the authenticity Lowry manages to achieve in voice and narration.

I can't say too much without giving it away, but this is a beautiful book and is a super fast read. You can't beat Lowry, you simply can't!

Sophie and Sophie are best friends, despite a huge age difference. Young Sophie visits Elder Sophie after school, together they sip tea and talk till the sun goes down. Lately, Elder Sophie has been very forgetful, she's been burning teakettles and forgets the date often. Soon, Elder Sophie begins telling stories of her youth, introducing Young Sophie to a whole new side of their dear friend.

This bittersweet story is a delightful read for all ages, even though it is written for middle grade readers. It has beautiful language that creates vivid images of past and present. Lois Lowry is a master of their craft and this book is a testimony to it.

Tree. Table. Book.

By Lois Lowery

Lois Lowry understands children’s emotions. That’s what has made The Giver and Number the Stars modern classics. Lowry’s new book, Tree. Table. Book. is bound to satisfy those who have been waiting for more wisdom from Lowry. Written for children, parents would do well to read all of Lowry’s books as well. And maybe grandparents.

Sophie Henry Winslow is an original. She is an eleven-year-old whose best friend, Sophie, happens to be eighty-eight. Her friend, the older Sophie, lives next door and was her savior when she, the younger Sophie, accidentally got left at home alone (her parents each thought she was with the other). Sophie is not popular at school because she is different. Her other friend (but definitely not her BEST friend), Ralphie, is also not popular.

Sophie enters the world of adults on her own terms, somewhat like a modern-day Eloise or Pippi Longstocking. She knows words that your average eleven-year-old wouldn't know. She actually understands not just that she is different but why. Independent seven and eight year olds (at least those who are good readers) are going to love this book. But so will nine, ten, and eleven and maybe twelve-year-olds. It's the kind of book that you want to keep and never give to the local book sale, no matter how tattered. So, thank you Lois Lowry, from a 75-year-old who thought it was a privilege to read your new book.

A quick and engaging read, I appreciated the multigenerational relationship between the pre-teen narrator and her elderly neighbor. The cast of neighborhood characters also added neurodiversity to the storyline. Lowry artfully weaves 3 stories set subtly during WWII into the narrative based around the keywords of TREE, TABLE, and BOOK. I valued Lowry's storytelling style of "less is more" thus allowing reader's to think for themselves in regards to the implications and impact of the stories woven into the narrative. Two thumbs up! I recommend this chapter book as an addition to elementary library collections. NOTE: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The perspective and voice in which this story is written is masterful, gentle, and honest. The relationship between 11-year-old Sophie and 88-year-old Sophie comes across as genuine and caring. Lowry reveals character through rich description and action rather than trite labels. I was emotionally drawn in even further by the revelations brought out by three simple words--Tree. Table. Book. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

I see Lois Lowry’s name and I say sign me up!

Best friends…both named Sophie…eighty years apart. The elder Sophie is showing signs of Dementia and the younger one overhears a conversation that her friend may have to move away… which sparks young Sophie to try and help her best friends cognition.

This was an absolute treat to read an early edition of. It’s been years since I’ve read a book by this author and this is one I’m going to cherish. Three simple words TREE. TABLE. BOOK. can spark so much meaning for one person and the narrative Lowery has created about history, friendship and listening to those who are willing to share filled my heart with so much warmth and hope.

Any age can appreciate the story being told in TREE. TABLE. BOOK.

Thank you Clarion Books
Release 4/23

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Lois Lowry never disappoints. Tree. Table. Book features two Sophies - they are best friends and 70 years apart in age. When young Sophie overhears older Sophie's son talking about moving his mother into an assisted living home she knows she has to do something for her friend. She sets up a series of tests to prove that older Sophie's memory is okay. Throughout the story - young Sophie thinks if older Sophie can come up with a story for each word - she'll be able to remember them. The stories about a tree, a table, and a book are from old Sophie's childhood as a Jewish girl in Poland and are heartbreaking stories of poverty and the Nazi invasion of Poland. I think middle-grade readers will enjoy the story. As an adult, I'd love to see Lois Lowry write a story about older Sophie's life and how she survives the occupation. I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Tree. Table. Book.

Multigenerational stories are classic children's lit, and this one is another gift from the giver, Lois Lowry. She can capture the complexities of human relationships and emotions better than any writer and has done so again.