Sock Junction - by Michael Newman (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"The Sock Junction"

In this charming and imaginative tale, young Charlie embarks on a curious adventure after discovering that one of his socks has mysteriously vanished. What starts as an ordinary day quickly becomes an extraordinary journey into the unknown as Charlie begins to wonder if wormholes, phenomena his dad often talks about, could be the cause of these strange disappearances.

With the help of his loyal dog, Sydney, and a colorful cast of characters-including his insightful mom, friendly neighbor Claudia, and Courtney, the enthusiastic sister of his coach-Charlie dives deep into the mysteries of science and space. Along the way, he discovers not only the wonders of the universe but also the importance of creativity, determination, and asking the right questions.

Perfect for young readers who love science, adventure, and a little touch of humor, The Sock Junction is a delightful story that inspires curiosity about the world-and beyond.

Review Quotes

Newman introduces young readers to the wonders of science, and theoretical physics, in this charming tale that finds cosmic possibilities in a most everyday mystery: what happens to lost socks? Six-year-old Charlie is lucky to have a dad who is a Caltech professor of astrophysics and a cosmologist mom who encourages his creativity, saying, "Charlie, you're always thinking outside the box!" As everyone has done, Charlie one day loses a sock-in this case a prized one he needs for soccer practice-in the clothes dryer. One night, Charlie is surprised and intrigued when two talking socks appear in his bedroom via a wormhole. They are Charm and Strange, subatomic particles from the Sock Junction dimension who, to communicate with Charlie, have taken on the form of socks.

Treating science as fun and relatable, Newman cleverly blends everyday kid activities (like soccer, working as a team, and playing with the family dog) with real science (the story touches on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the Fermi Paradox, the multiverse, muons, and more) and entertaining fantasy elements, like magic crystals that make children feel special and useful. The revelations get goofier as the story goes on. Turns out, Charm and Strange steal socks from our world to power a force field around Sock Junction, but now they need Charlie's help to re-energize the dying crystal that powers the Great Sewing Machine powering Sock Junction and deflects enemy factions from attacking their city. The whole neighborhood joins in to save Sock Junction when pregnant mom Miranda and her best friend Claudia plan a heist to borrow a crystal from the new age crystal shop so that Sock Junction scientists can clone it.

The science fact and fiction enchant, the high-spirited creativity and championing of science will spur curiosity.

Takeaway: Witty story of talking socks from another dimension championing science fact and fiction.