Soof

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Author(s)

Sarah Weeks

Publisher

Scholastic Press

Genre(s)

Middle Grade Fiction

Age Range

Release Date

September 10, 2018

ISBN

978-0545846653

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All her life, Aurora has heard stories about Heidi and all the good luck she brought Aurora's family. Aurora, though, doesn't feel very lucky. The kids at school think she's weird. And she's starting to think her mom thinks she's weird, too. Especially compared to Heidi. On the eve of a visit from Heidi, more bad luck hits Aurora's family. There's a fire in their attic, destroying a good part of their house. And, even worse, Aurora's beloved dog goes missing. Aurora and her family have always believed in soof -- Heidi's mom's word for love. But sometimes even when soof is right there in front of you, you still need to find it -- and that's exactly what Aurora is going to do.

Editor reviews

4 reviews

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0(2)

Characters

4.5(2)

Writing Style

4.5(2)

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A(0)

A Sequel After 18 Years

June 04, 2021 (Updated: June 30, 2026)

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Aurora's parents had fostered a girl named Heidi before she was born, and she has heard lots of stories about her, because her parents attribute their luck in finally having Aurora to Heidi. (This is the main character from 2005's So B. It.) Aurora is a quirky kid who is NOT on the Autism spectrum-- she's been tested. She does have some trouble fitting in at school, but she's a happy kid content to hang out and talk to her parents. When Heidi is going to come to visit because she is pregnant and wants to connect to her past, Aurora is not overly pleased. She thinks her own luck is getting bad, and when the house catches on fire and her beloved dog, Duck, goes missing, she thinks things are only going to get worse. Her parents and Heidi work with her to get her to understand that family's all have issues to work through, but can persevere by loving each other. ("Soof" was Heidi's mother's word for "love".)

Good Points

Interesting and innovative to revisit a character after so much time, and the cover of this is fantastic. Middle grade readers will pick up anything with food on the cover. I enjoyed Aurora's supportive family, and the details about having a home damaged by fire are interesting and something I don't know if I've seen in middle grade literature. Weeks' writing is always right on target for appealing to middle grade readers.

I'll purchase, because So B. It still circulates well. Readers who enjoy books like Giff's Pictures of Hollis Woods, Hunt's One for the Murphys, or Durrant's Little Bits of Sky. If you really like catching up with characters from older books, also try the combination of Kimberly Willis Holt's When Zachary Beaver Came to Town and The Ambassador of Nowhere, Texas.

Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer #1 Reviewer 2477 reviews

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Love is All Around

October 23, 2018 (Updated: June 30, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

'Soof' by Sarah Weeks is a story that not only has a contemporary feel, but takes readers back to a seemingly gentler time. The setting of the book, while likely in present day, seems like it can just as easily be in the past. This feeling that it could have taken place at any time is a nice touch, as it will likely help the book to resonate across different age groups and stand the test of time.

The main character, Aurora, feels like she is somewhat weird, making her different from her classmates. Adding to this feeling is Aurora's mother's fascination with a good friend, Heidi, whom Aurora's parents raised when Heidi's parents weren't around. A stroke of bad luck occurs for the family, however, when a fire threatens their home, keeping them out of the house for the time period which was supposed to include Heidi's visit. Despite this misfortune, Aurora is pleased that she doesn't have to meet Heidi or try to live up to what she feels are her mother's expectations for her based on how she knows her mother feels about Heidi. Yet she also has to deal with the fact that her beloved dog, Duck, is also missing. The only friend she has ever really known, she makes it her only purpose to find Duck and bring him home.

The themes in 'Soof' are always present in everyday life, from feelings of loneliness to uncertainty, loss to comfort. Aurora learns that 'soof,' a word used in the book to mean 'love,' is often around in not-so-visible ways. She, along with readers, only need to learn to see it for what it is rather than tending to look for the not-so-good issues that regularly pop up as part of life in general. In 'Soof,' Sarah Weeks has written a story that readers will be able to connect with through common themes and an ending that brings the writing together nicely.

Good Points

The themes in 'Soof' are always present in everyday life, from feelings of loneliness to uncertainty, loss to comfort. Aurora learns that 'soof,' a word used in the book to mean 'love,' is often around in not-so-visible ways. She, along with readers, only need to learn to see it for what it is rather than tending to look for the not-so-good issues that regularly pop up as part of life in general. In 'Soof,' Sarah Weeks has written a story that readers will be able to connect with through common themes and an ending that brings the writing together nicely.