Hello everyone! You may remember when I posted an image of Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love, a chapter book by Sarah Lipman, to my Instagram, Threads, Twitter and Bluesky earlier this month. In those posts, I announced that I was invited to review an advance reading copy of the book ahead of its release date by LPR Agency. Well, with the book’s recent release, I am happy to share my review! Be sure to get it on Amazon today! You can also check out Lipman’s website at this link! Below is the book’s synopsis:
Sophia Starr has one big wish: her very own pet dog.
When her parents finally agree to let her care for other people’s dogs to prove she’s ready, Sophia is thrilled. This is her chance! With every walk, bath, and wagging tail, she’s one step closer to her dream.
But things don’t go exactly to plan.
Friendship tensions bubble up. School is stressful. Ballet rehearsals for an upcoming exam are exhausting. And who is the mysterious figure who seems to be watching her? As the challenges pile up, Sophia begins to wonder if she’s bitten off more than she can chew.
Filled with humour, heart, and a touch of mystery, Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love is a charming chapter book about growing up, staying strong, and learning that love, like dog ownership, comes with responsibility.
Perfect for young readers aged 7-11 who love dogs, friendship stories, and brave girls chasing big dreams.
A tail-wagging story for anyone who’s ever wanted a dog of their own.
I’m glad to have been given this opportunity after my previous review of Dragons Can’t Eat Snow Cones! But before we begin, I would like to give a heads up to some spoilers to the book. Let’s take a bite out of these pages, shall we?
Background
Earlier this month, I received a message from Lydia Reed of LPR Agency regarding reviewing Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love. She told me that she wanted to share a new children’s book that might be of interest for review or coverage on the blog. She provided a press release document and informed me that the book is available in paperback, hardcover, and eBook formats. It is also currently the #1 Best Seller in Children’s Chapter Books on Amazon UK. She then asked me to let her know if I would like a review copy, or to arrange coverage or a chat with Lipman. After much thought, I decided to agree.
In the press release document, it stated that Lipman plans to visit schools and engage with young readers this fall, with two confirmed appearances in November at the Norbury High School for Girls and the Norbury Manor Primary School. Lipman is also available for additional talks, workshops, and signings at schools, festivals, and community events across the UK. The document also stated that Lipman has had a keen love for dogs ever since growing up in Florida and persuading her mom to let her look after her tennis coach’s half greyhound/half pit bulldog. She has hosted an array of dogs for their ‘holidays’ over the past few years. These experiences and her own joyful memories of stories told to her as a child spawned the idea for this book. Sarah has always loved storytelling and often makes up stories for her children. She now offers young readers a delightful journey through her world of imagination.
Written in a few months and self-published all within a year, Sarah hopes the book will help inspire children and early readers to embark on their own book writing adventure. Sarah explains:
It’s crazy when I look back to think I have written this book and now it is published. It has been the most incredible journey and I have learned more about myself than I ever thought possible. I love that this book has opened a new world for me; seeing children’s faces as they discover the characters and storyline is priceless.
But how was the book, anyway? Does it inspire me to embark on my own book writing adventure as well?
The Review
When I started reading this book, the first thing I noticed was that the story is told in present tense. That’s something you don’t see as frequently in fiction as past tense, at least among the books I have read, which was a fairly refreshing experience for me, to say the least. Another thing I noticed is that the book is written in British English, which makes sense considering that Lipman lives in the UK, but it was quite different from the American English I’m used to. There were a lot of phrases that I had to look up to figure out their American English counterparts, such as “lead” instead of “leash”, which was also an interesting learning experience for me as well.
Right away, the book kicks off with an “Introduction” chapter. I had to look up if British writers use the phrase “Introduction” rather than “Prologue”, which is what the chapter technically is, but that doesn’t seem to be the case (at least in fiction), even though calling it an “Introduction” still technically works. It sets up the premise pretty quickly: a girl named Sophia Starr wants to have a dog, but her parents are reluctant, as they tend to be in stories about kids wanting pets. But then Sophia gets a chance to prove herself when they allow her to look after other people’s dogs over the next year, and if she takes care of them well enough, then they just might get her a dog. Sophia is a pretty well written protagonist – I like how she has another passion as a ballerina, which gives her more of a personality other than being a dog lover. It also adds to the tension that develops when she has to balance her time between dog-sitting and other responsibilities such as homework later in the story. Her age isn’t specified but based on her being in her first year of high school (middle school in the UK, another thing I learned), she is likely eleven going on twelve.
Aside from Sophia’s parents, there is her younger sister Pearl, who doesn’t have a really big role in the story but was nonetheless a cute addition to the scenes she did appear in. Her age isn’t specified either, but she appears to be really young based on her behavior and Lily Liu’s illustrations of her. Then there’s Sophia’s friends, who play a much bigger role in the story. We are first introduced to Malika and Gemma, then Pippa and Beth a little later. Then there’s the mysterious old woman who plays something of an antagonistic role, who Sophia and her friends fear due to her spying on them. She’s one of the most interesting parts of the story, adding some darker tension in an otherwise lighthearted premise whose identity I was eager to find out even when she wasn’t there or mentioned.
And then there are the dogs, of course. I like how different each dog’s personality is (one even sings!), as well as the different ways Sophia has to take care of them, from gum getting stuck in one’s tail to having to walk another early in the morning, which presents a really believable depiction of the dog-sitting experience. There’s also a scene in which Sophia takes care of a different animal entirely that slightly challenges her love for all animals, which was an interesting break from all the dog-sitting. Sophia never quite ends up being surrounded by all the dogs that appear on the cover, but it doesn’t take away from Liu’s really great artwork. Her bright watercolor art style has a beautiful, almost dreamlike quality that does a great job complimenting the story’s lighthearted tone.
And while the dog-sitting is what the book is about, it’s arguably not what the book is really about, as much as you’re eager to find out if Sophia really does end up getting a dog of her own at the end. The book’s biggest strength is absolutely the tension that arises between Sophia and Gemma when Gemma mysteriously stops talking to Sophia, which is a great subplot of middle high school angst. I thought it was a good decision on Lipman’s part to not put so much attention on this in the synopsis, even less so than the mysterious old woman. It does a great job adding to the tension already being created by the mysterious old woman, and after a while, you can’t help but to wonder if the two subplots will connect to each other in some way. As it turns out, a dog-sitting mishap that threatens to derail all of Sophia’s progress in getting her own dog ends up doing a good job at tying together all of the plot threads at the end. And while the mysterious old woman doesn’t end up being the scary threat the earlier chapters implied – quite the opposite, in fact – it still fits the book’s lighthearted tone in a way that is just as satisfying.
Ultimately, Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love is a pretty good story about responsibility and misunderstanding. It shows how sometimes, you can’t get the things in life that you want the most without putting in the work that’s required to receive them, and that sometimes, things that look scary or uncertain aren’t always what they seem. For kids who keep asking their parents to get them a dog, this is actually a really great book for these parents to give their kids first. It would certainly make parents’ lives a little easier while showing kids the realities of owning a pet. Considering the ending, there is much potential for a sequel, in which we could perhaps see Sophia significantly expand her dog-sitting business (creating a situation closer to the cover!) and end up in all kinds of antics with her furry friends in the process. And maybe this time, she’ll finally be able to chew what she bites off.
So, what did you think of my review? Will you be checking out Sophia Starr and a Dog to Love? I will be posting an edited version of my review of the book to my Goodreads and on its Amazon page shortly. Do you have a children’s book that is about to be released? You can send me an advance reading copy of your book (preferably electronic) for me to leave a review on the book’s release date in a future blog post. You can also send me the book’s cover for me to promote it on my Instagram, Threads, Twitter and Bluesky before its release date. Check the Contact page for more information. Be aware that I prefer to review middle grade, traditionally published books and books NOT created using artificial intelligence, and even then, I may not review every book I receive.
Until then, stay enlightened, educated and entertained, folks.
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