Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the chance to read an ARC of Sonia Speaks Up by Shannon McClintock Miller.

As a teacher of digital citizenship to our youngest learners, I am always looking for ways to make this work engaging and relatable. We have Sonia's Digital World in our collection and it is provides great foundational understanding for these ideas. What I really love about this title, Sonia Speaks Up, is it tackles *one* aspect of digital citizenship (digital footprint/being kind online) and explains it in an extremely kid friendly way. Everyone little could relate to feeling uncomfortable reading mean comments and then being worried and insecure about your own work. I especially love, too, how the author included practical action steps for the reader in their own lives (TAG strategy and creating a digital contract) and the end of the book. A must have for anyone elementary educator responsible for teaching digital citizenship!

Sonia is the perfect example of how to be a great peer and stick up for others. I would recommend this book to parents/guardians that are trying to explain how words can harm people even on the internet.

This is an excellent read on being a good digital citizen and for opening a conversation up with children on staying safe online and what could potentially happen. When you upload a post, there is always a potential for there to be hate or people being unkind, and I do not think this topic gets discussed enough. Usually the topic is on severe online bullying, but not the day-to-day instances that need to be addressed. This book is wonderful and I highly recommend it. The art is also fantastic.

I received this wonderful book for free as an eARC from the publisher. I am leaving this feedback voluntarily.

A quick read on the importance of internet commentary! The illustrations were adorable and I felt this was perfect for a k-2 introduction on being a good digital citizen. Can we please send copies to all the adults who leave these comments on all the various social media platforms as well?!

Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC!

Cute and Quick read for my 5 year old daughter. Lessons of respect, positivity and the openness for imagination. Great book for teaching life lessons for children,

'Sonia Speaks Up' is a great introduction for young children into the digital world. This is what makes the book so relevant; with the technological advances we're currently experiencing and the dangers for children, I found the content so important. It was cautionary and educational but still diverse and engaging, which is a great combination for teaching children these necessary lessons without scaring or boring them. I do think that there could have been more discussion about parents, as even some adults lack digital literacy, so it would be nice to introduce children to the idea that even everyday digital citizens can struggle, but this is why they should be open to learning all the time. I also felt the title was slightly misleading, seeming like a book about bullying. Whilst this was an aspect of the story, it wasn't the main plot. Nevertheless, I felt the book was a great resource for children and could easily be implemented into school IT lessons.

In today’s digital age, young people need to understand the importance of treating others with respect and compassion. This book is a great reminder of that. It’s shocking to read how kids can say mean things without realizing it’s hurtful. It’s a good wake-up call to think about how our words affect others.

Thank you to Capstone for the ARC preview. I will be sharing more of the digital explorers with my little one.

This was a very cute story with an important message. I loved the illustrations and the topics it addresses of cyber bullying, leaving your digital footprint, and empathy. I also liked how it was very current by including the use of tablets and a digital art gallery, making it relevant to children growing up in this time. I also enjoyed the resources provided at the end of the book. It did seem a little bit short and as if the conflict was quickly resolved when that may not actually be the case in these situations

A simple but important story about being a good digital citizen. When Sonia and her class are given the opportunity to share their artwork online, everyone's excited -- that is, until their classmate Max leaves rude, hurtful comments on several posts. But with an open dialogue and a fresh digital start, the class learns how to communicate in a more helpful and kind way.

The illustrations are adorable, and I also really love the back pages that encourage the reader to reflect on what they've learned and how they can apply it. This is a particularly crucial read for any kiddos navigating digital/online spaces! (And listen...we all know an adult or two who could learn from this book, too.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful little reader about how important it is to be kind to others online. Sonia's classmate doesn't realize the effect his words have on his friends, and the teacher addresses it directly. The world is full of people being mean, making it even more important for kids to learn how to be kind. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

A short and sweet exploration of how the words we say in person and online can affect others. Sonia is a great proxy for allowing us to speak up to bullies, hold others and ourselves accountable, and share our stories even when there's a risk of someone else saying something unkind.

A thoughtful book for ages 5-7 about digital footprints and how online comments last forever. It teaches kids the importance of kindness online—even in something as small as a class art gallery. The message is valuable: it's never funny to make rude remarks about someone’s work.

While I appreciate the idea, I didn’t love the book’s structure and style—my son even noted that the first page felt like it was written by a first grader, while the rest was much more logical and engaging.
Still, the topic is important, and this book can be a useful tool for sparking discussions with young readers.

Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!

I think this was a great, short story for kids. I'd definitely recommend it for classrooms in the elementary school age range.

Some highlights I applaud: the glossary at the beginning of the story, showing the prevalence of online bullying when it comes to social media platforms, Sonia standing up to Max (the kid who left the mean comments) and explaining that just because you mean for something to be a joke doesn't make it not offensive or rude, talking about how "it's just online" doesn't mean what you say doesn't matter or hold weight (once it's online it's there forever), "art should look different" comment made by the teacher is a great reminder to kids, and the discussion talking points at the end (TAG acronym and think about it questions).

One thing I would have preferred to be different: when Sonia told her teacher she didn't originally upload her picture because she was afraid of receiving mean comments, I wish his response wouldn't have been "that won't happen now" since the class had discussed the importance of being kind and empathetic. While things might be monitored and discussed thoughtfully in the classroom, as kids grow older, they will be surrounded by online media that doesn't have a monitoring system and therefor will be exposed to rude and offensive comments. I would have like to see something more along the lines of the teacher helping Sonia realize that if you're proud of your art (any work) than you should stand by it even in the face of rude comments because we cannot always avoid those.

Overall, a great story with a meaningful lesson for young kids -- especially these days with social media being so prevalent.