A new children’s book from an Alexandria author is rekindling the stories she told local students during virtual storytimes amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Seven Days of Sophie” by Southerlyn Marino captures a week in the life of Sophie, a lovable black-and-white French bulldog. Though Marino released the book at the Made In ALX store just last month, the stories are from five years ago, when she was asked to be a virtual mystery reader for her nephews’ class at Charles Barrett Elementary School.
Instead of reading a published story for the Zoom, she made one up from scratch.
“I did the first one, which was ‘Sophie Saves the Day,’ and the kids all loved it,” Marino told ALXnow. “They asked me back, and that’s how it started. The stories are all very sweet and very simple. ”
Each story is based on true events and includes lessons about kindness, courage and teamwork, Marino said. The book’s artwork was created by her lifelong friend, Julia Casimira Sacasa.
“Sophie is a sweetheart in real life,” Marino said. “During those strange days of the pandemic, she gave some rhythm to my nephews during a period when we lost our bearings for a moment. This was truly a passion project, and was so much fun to write.”
Marino is also the author of a 2024 book on rowing, which she wrote as a guide for parents whose kids are involved in the sport.
A communications professional in Old Town, she said she has a lot of stories to tell, but her next project will be to publish her grandfather’s memoirs from World War II.
