What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World in Mock Newbery 2026

Aug 30, 2013 Aimee rated it it was amazing

This is such a great middle grade read! It was engaging and fun. I also love all of the allusions (A Wrinkle in Time, Picasso, Dilbert, Superman and more). I know my 6th graders will eat this book up.

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Jul 24, 2013 Ellie rated it really liked it

Shelves: school-age, science-fiction, funny, middle-grade, friendship

Wonderful :) 4.5 stars. Great sci-fi for kids who don't think they like sci-fi. AND funny.

Also worth noting that one of the characters' father is an alcoholic and that impacts his life. It's not heavy-handedly talked about and (view spoiler), and I think kids could miss it if it's just not something they're aware of, but I appreciate it when people mention things like this in reviews, so I figured I'd do the same :) ...more

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Jan 12, 2014 Barbara rated it liked it

Shelves: character-building, compassion, death, facing-fears, community, families, friendship, inventions, school, alcohol

Three friends, River, Freak, and Fiona live in a community that has been affected by dangerous mining practices that are less than green. Consequently, part of the area right outside Freak's home has been condemned and is fenced off to prevent anyone from entering it and coming to harm. The youngsters happen upon a sofa near the bus stop one day, and upon searching beneath its cushions, they find several interesting items, including a zucchini-colored crayon. When they decide to sell it on the I ...more

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Apr 30, 2014 Dolores rated it really liked it

Snarky, completely off the wall. This one reminded me a bit of an Adam Rex book. Yes, it was a bit silly at times, and maybe a bit young. But it was just good fun and had loads of kid appeal-especially for boys.

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Sep 04, 2013 Mari Anne rated it it was ok

Shelves: mg-ya, couldn-t-finish

I had high hopes for this MG novel, that was touted in one of the Goodreads chat rooms as a possible Newberry contender. Personally I don't see it. I found this one to be complicated and convoluted. The story was crazy and out there, but not in a good way. The plot moved slowly and was just not very interesting. Kids might enjoy the wackiness but I think they also might have issues with the convoluted plot. I tried skipping to the end, as one reviewer suggested, but even that didn't save me from ...more

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Jul 25, 2013 KWinks rated it really liked it

This was an amusing adventure tale. If your kid needs a break from wizards, zombies, aliens, etc try this. The humor level is pretty high (not laugh out loud, but very clever). The characters are well drawn and the setting is cool. My only complaint was that there is a great many things going on in the story and more than half of them do not have time to come to a conclusion. I took that to mean that this will be a series.

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Oct 04, 2013 Krystal rated it liked it

3.5 stars. Fun sci-fi for kids. It dragged for me in the middle, but I'm hardly the target audience for the story. My 11-year old son is reading it now at my recommendation. I think he'll love it. ...more

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