Eleven-year-old Sophie Winslow’s very dearest friend lives next door: 88-year-old Sophie Gershowitz. They spend a lot of time together and enjoy many of the same things, including making up word games, drinking tea and eating cookies. But when old Sophie’s son, an accountant who lives in Akron, believes his mom is losing her cognitive ability, the precocious Sophie Winslow makes it her priority to prove that her best friend is as cogent as ever. And in that quest, we learn more about Sophie Gershowitz and the Old Country than we could have imagined.

Newbery winner Lois Lowry has written a book that will please adults as much as children — more probably. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Harper Collins Children’s Books and Clarion Books in exchange for honest review.

Just finished the ARC of this book. I read it in less than 24 hours while doing other school work becauese I was so obsessed with the relationship between the main character and her elderly neighbor. Lowry does a fantastic job of writing this coming of age story about coming to terms with how terrible dementia is for everyone involved. She also weaves in a World War II Jewish story in Lowry's sensitive manner that she has perfected over the years. This book would be a fantastic read for young readers who are being introduced to the Holocaust as well as struggling with the loss or illness of an elderly loved one.

The two Sophia’s are the best of friends. One of them is in middle school and the other happens to be older… significantly older. When the elderly Sophia begins having a hard time remembering things her best friend starts doing everything she can to cover up what’s going on and keep her friend safe. While spending time together the older Sophia shares stories she’s never told anyone about her life during the Holocaust. Can Sophia hide what’s going on and keep her best friend safe? What’s the best choice when you really love someone?

11-year old Sophie’s best friend is another Sophie — her 88-year old neighbor Sophie Gershowitz. Older Sophie is the one with whom young Sophie has a “true and lasting friendship, a friendship of the heart.” But neighbor Sophie is not doing well — her memory is failing and there are rumors of her being removed to a facility in a distant town. To help, young Sophie tries to prepare her for the memory tests she will be faced with. She tries to get her to remember three simple words — Tree, Table, Book — by cementing them in stories that are important to the older woman. But the stories that come out are heartbreaking, secret, and revealing to the point of translucency. Pieces of history that explain who Sophie G is, and how she became that person.

Lowry is (and always has been) an incredible writer. I’ve probably read everything she has written, and she has never failed to catch me in surprise with her revelations. The 86-year old author is able to put herself into the characters of both Sophies beautifully. Young Sophie’s mind meanders like an intelligent, curious, 11-year old. Older Sophie’s mind loses details but holds on tenaciously to the important truths of life. Lowry — as usual — manages to get essence into every single sentence. I was brought to tears multiple times. The tears were not dragged out of me, though, but were natural products of the feelings at the heart of the book. I felt more reading this 200 page book aimed at 8-12 year olds than the most dramatic adult books. And I love the (almost) last line which is included in one of the quotes below.

Quotes:
“I had told Sophie Gershowitz that I always got the dates right, on history tests, always got As. That was true., But I had never really got it, never understood history, how things fit together, because I needed someone to tell me the stories not of politics and dictators, but of berries and bunnies and books. Of how things are lost, and what that means and how it hurts.”

“I prefer curved and winding roads. They make me think about Stuart Little setting off in his tiny car to look for love.”

“In order to understand how it feels to say goodbye to your dearest friend, you need to know about a flowered apron, a Jello-O mousse, an old refrigerator with ice trays, and a whistling teakettle. You need a size-small T-shirt that says Live Long and Prosper. You need a yardstick. Maybe you above all need a yardstick, because you have to measure everything so that it fits together, because you have to aim for an understandable ending.”

“It is exhausting to think about it. There is so very very much to fix. And I know, of course, that a lot of it isn’t fixable. I understand that.
But I can try. I’ll start small.”

I’ve never read book by Lois Lowry that I didn’t love and Tree, Table, book was no different. It would be a great resource to any household library.

An unusual friendship between an eleven-year-old girl and her elderly neighbor who is starting to show signs of dementia.

This was so cute, and heartbreaking, and wholesome. I want more, but it is also so well done that the shortness works. Another Lowry classic for sure.

I absolutely adored this book. A young girl best friends with an old woman who is slowly getting dementia. It is raw and real, and a story of love and friendship. This book gave me so many feelings, and the ending made me cry. It was well written and is a great story to have in any classroom! Some of my third graders may really enjoy this, but it’s also good for middle-grades as some of the topics are a bit heavy— without being brutal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Please read- it’s quick and beautiful.

Despite being in elementary school, Sophie's best friend is her elderly neighbor, Sophie. It seems as though elderly Sophie is having memory problems so younger Sophie administers a memory test for her, asking older Sophie to remember 3 words - tree, table, book. Older Sophie tells younger Sophie a story about each word, revealing long hidden memories from her past.

This was a very sweet book, and all of the things that I love about Lois Lowry's writing. She doesn't shy away from tough topics - memory loss and the Holocaust in this case - but illustrates them in a way that elementary schoolers can deal with. I loved how I could tell that young Sophie and older Sophie really have a strong friendship and trust. The two genuinely care about one another. Reading older Sophie's memories broke my heart. Highly recommend, although not for the most sensitive readers.

Tree. Table. Book.

Sophie, an 11 years old girl and only child, lives with her busy parents, so she spends time with her friend from school and neighbor Ralphie.
She also becomes friends with her 88-year-old neighbor who shares the same name.

The girl is unpopular at school and very different from the kids of her age. She is curious and very clever, and she loves spending time with her elder neighbor who lives alone and is starting to forget things, so she might be taken away by her son. Sophie, the girl, wants to find a way to help her, and before Sophie, the elder, starts forgetting about her early years, she shares where she comes from, a secret and very sad past.

This children’s novel is funny, moving, and captivating. The characters are endearing and very diverse.
In one story, the author compacts many important topics such as elderliness, loneliness, disabilities, and WWII.
This is the third book I read by the author, and I love the way she addresses serious topics where middle schoolers can learn about empathy and history.

I highly recommend to middle schoolers, parents, teachers, and any reader who likes children's books.

Thank you Harper Collins Children's Books and Netgalley for this ARC.

Pub date: April 23rd, 2024

I absolutely loved this touching middle grade read about two Sophies who live next door to each other. One is 11 and one is 88. When the younger Sophie catches wind of the older Sophie potentially having to move to a home due to memory issues, she decides to give her some cognitive testing and through this she hears stories from Sophie's childhood in Poland during WWII. The friendship between these two was just so wonderful and I would highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I am a long time Lois Lowry fan. I grew up reading her stories, especially the Giver. I was so excited to be chosen to review this ARC. In this wonderful story and young girl befriends and older lady in their building. They are best friends. When the older Sophie starts struggling with life and doing simple things her son mentions her leaving to have to be taken care of. Young Sophie is determined to help save her friend, improve her memory and take care of her. With the help of her friends they set out to help older Sophie. What they didn’t expect was to learn along the way. They listen to the stories she has to tell and learn about so many things, such as love, war and life.
This is an amazingly heartwarming story. Your emotions will grab you with this one. I felt so involved in knowing all about older Sophie and how to save her. I didn’t expect to learn from the story too. It shares the important message of holding onto memories and sharing those memories as well. I have had the same situation as I grasped onto all I could from family before their memories and they were gone.
A very meaningful and inspiring book that I will share with any child, or adult, that I can. Truly another masterpiece. You are going to want to cuddle up and read this enduring story.

I was excited to read the latest from Lois Lowry. This handled a young girl’s special friendship with her elderly neighbor who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. The story handles a tricky topic well, and helps portray a child’s perspective on the prospect of losing a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Lois Lowry did not disappoint.

This book is a heartwarming and relatable story about a girl and her best friend, an elderly neighbor at the beginning stages of dementia. While Sophia tries to help her friends and fix their problems, she learns about herself and realizes what it means to be a true friend. No surprise that Lois Lowry delivers a wonderfully sincere story that is both simple and profound.

A Lowry tour de force;' clever, intriguing, and causes reflection. It will be very popular. A clever use of characters that enables young people to empathize and gain an understanding of differences.

Lois Lowry, the author of many books including The Giver and Number the Stars has a new book coming out for preteens. Tree. Table. Book. is a book about friendship, trust and sharing. A cleverly written plot brings together a young girl Sophie and her elderly neighbor, Sophie.

They build a friendship on sharing tea and stories. Young Sophie is very scientifically minded and does not have many friends and her neighbor Sophie is living alone, aging and showing signs of dementia. Sophia’s son is planning to move her away to assisted living. Young Sophie wants to test Sophie’s cognitive abilities with the Merck Manual.

Giving Sophie three words to remember and repeat back, sets Sophie off on memories from her childhood growing up in Europe at the outbreak of World War II. This is a wonderful story written very realistically with a young narrator’s voice. The Holocaust is written about in an understated way that is easy to read. It is a small part of the story. The main thrust of the plot is how to treat friends with caring and acceptance.

I loved this story of the relationship between an elderly woman named Sophie and a preteen girl also named Sophie. When the elder Sophie starts showing signs of dementia, her son decides to move her near him. Young Sophie doesn't want her to leave so she decides to prove him wrong! It's has sad moments and laughable moments! I loved it!

This story is about a young girl named Sophie and an older neighbor lady named Sophie they have become excellent friends. Unfortunately, the older Sophie is having some trouble as of late and her young friend is determined to keep her as her neighbor. This book covers a gauntlet of issues, dementia, the holocaust, autism, and friendship. I enjoyed the book and found the writing interesting. I'm not sure why it started off as a how-to-write a narrative, to just a story I don't think that part was really tied up at the end of the book. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable book.

A short book packed full of emotion. Lois Lowry knows how to write amazing novels, and this one is no exception. You learn so much about the characters in such a short amount of reading, and that's how you know you're dealing with a master author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a story about a preteen girl who has a very close friend who is an octogenarian. Both are named Sophie.
Older Sophie is slowly loosing her memory and her son wants her to move in with him out of state. Younger Sophie has obtained a copy of a cognitive test that tests for dementia. She is determined to help older Sophie to pass the test so she does not have to leave.
The name of the book comes from one of the subtests where older Sophie has to remember three unrelated words over a period of time. She continually fails this subtest. To help Sophie remember the unrelated words, younger Sophie has Sophie tell a story related to each of the words. Sophie's long term memory is not affected and she tells story from her past related to each word. Tree, Table. and Book.
The stories are reminiscent of Lois Lowry's Giver series and the importance of passing stories down..
This was an excellent book.