Charlies Adventures in Sock Junction follows six-year-old Charlie Maxwell as he navigates the subatomic world of Sock junction. Charlie is a smart and energetic boy who loves to play soccer. One morning while helping his mother, Miranda, with laundry he discovers that once of his game day soccer socks is missing. Unable to find the sock in the washer, Charlie and Miranda comb through the basket of clean and dry clothes only to discover that one of his socks is really missing. Even after the coach provides him a new one, Charlie continues to wonder about the original and comes to believe that it was taken through a wormhole. One night, Charlie is finally visited by “Charm and Strange,” two muons from the subatomic world and they need Charlie’s help to rescue them from impending disaster. What follows is a delightful journey featuring Charlie and his subatomic friends. As a science lesson embedded in a story of a quick-thinking young hero, this book is for young people and those who are young at heart who enjoy a sense of wonder and discovery.
Charlies Adventures in Sock Junction follows six-year-old Charlie Maxwell as he navigates the subatomic world of Sock junction. Charlie is a smart and energetic boy who loves to play soccer. One morning while helping his mother, Miranda, with laundry he discovers that once of his game day soccer socks is missing. Unable to find the sock in the washer, Charlie and Miranda comb through the basket of clean and dry clothes only to discover that one of his socks is really missing. Even after the coach provides him a new one, Charlie continues to wonder about the original and comes to believe that it was taken through a wormhole. One night, Charlie is finally visited by “Charm and Strange,” two muons from the subatomic world and they need Charlie’s help to rescue them from impending disaster. What follows is a delightful journey featuring Charlie and his subatomic friends. As a science lesson embedded in a story of a quick-thinking young hero, this book is for young people and those who are young at heart who enjoy a sense of wonder and discovery.
“Mom, Mom!” Charlie’s voice echoed through the house, filled with urgency.
“What is it, Charlie?” his mom replied, her tone carrying both weariness and care. She was already juggling too many tasks — laundry, cooking, taking care of Reggie. She also knew, in the back of her head, that she would soon need to take Charlie to soccer practice.
“I can’t find my soccer socks! Coach said we need to wear our game -day socks and uniform for practice tomorrow— Wednesday.”
“Tomorrow’s only Wednesday; the games are on Saturday,” she thought to herself out loud. Charlie, “I already put them in the wash. They should be ready for the dryer soon. Can you do me a favor and check to see if the washer is finished and move the laundry to the dryer, please?
Charlie nodded, determination flushing his cheeks. “Okay, I can do that.”
He made his way toward the top-loading washer (in which the cycle was finished) marveling at its height. “Wow, it’s quite tall,” he muttered, standing on his tiptoes to peer inside. He dragged a step stool over and struggled to lift the laundry, the tub looking deep and daunting.
“Charlie!” Mom called out. “Be careful not to fall in!”
“I won’t fall in!” he promised, though a flicker of doubt crept in. Maybe I won’t fall in. After a fifteen-minute struggle, he finally hoisted the laundry into the dryer. There, nestled against the fresh clothes, he spotted one bright soccer sock. “Yes!” he exclaimed, his heart racing with relief, figuring his second was in the pile as well.
Once done, Charlie headed downstairs for his snack, his stomach rumbling as he watched his mom feed his baby brother, Reggie, who was three and wiggling in his highchair, barely containing his excitement.
Mom, disheveled and eight months pregnant with a girl (name TBD), glanced at her chaotic household, overwhelmed by endless tidying. But tomorrow, at least, would be a little easier —Charlie’s best friend Arnold was picking him up for soccer practice and a playdate — a small but welcome reprieve.
After his snack, Charlie dashed outside. He swung beneath the sun, tossing a ball back and forth with their dog, Sydney. But as the sound of the dryer buzzer echoed from the house, his heart raced, hoping to find the other sock.
“Hey, girl,” he said to Sydney, “I’ll be right back. I need to get my socks for practice tomorrow.”
He dashed to the laundry room opening the dryer. It was piled high with clothes. He rummaged through the warm pile, emptying it into a basket as he searched for his other soccer sock. His fingers shifted through t-shirts, towels, and jeans, but no second sock appeared.
“Mom! MOM!”
“Yes, Charlie?”
“I’m missing a soccer sock!”
”I saw one of them when I moved the laundry to the dryer,” he replied.
“She sighed, putting Reggie in his playpen and walking over to the laundry room. Together, they inspected the pile. The second sock was missing.
“Charlie’s heart sank further, tears beginning to form. What if he couldn’t practice? “Mom, the coach said if we don’t wear the right socks, we can’t practice tomorrow.”
“Oh, Charlie,” she soothed, brushing a hand through her hair, “let me make a quick call to the coach to see if he has an extra pair.”
As his mom dialed, Charlie observed Reggie playing with his toys while Sydney dropped her ball at the baby’s feet. Reggie giggled, plopping the ball into his mouth. Typical.
“Hey, Girl,” Charlie said to Sydney, then tossed her the ball. “Sorry, I don’t want to play right now; I’m still thinking about where that sock went.
“Mom returned shortly, a look of relief spreading across her face. “Good news! The coach has an extra pair of socks for you, so you can stop worrying.” Although she wondered where it could have gone after looking through all the dried laundry.
Charlie grinned, a wave of joy replacing his earlier worry. “Thanks, Mom!
“Now go play with Sydney. I need a moment of peace amidst this chaos.” She chuckled, feeling a kick gently from within, a reminder that more beautiful chaos was on the way.[1]
Charlie Theodore Maxwell was born on August 21st, 2017, in Pasadena, CA. The exact day of the great American Eclipse to Leonard and Miranda Maxwell. Charlie was 8lbs 14Oz and 20” in length. His Dad Leonard is a descendant of the James Clerk Maxwell family. James Clerk Maxwell was a Scottish physicist who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Wikipedia
I know very little about soccer, but thankfully that is not anything that cannot be overcome by Newman in this book. The plot centers around a young boy who loses a sock and is magically morphed into a world where soccer socks talk and there is more to life than meets the eye.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I first started it. I will say that the plot is a bit slow to develop, but once you are in the midst of the sock world, it moves quickly. I did find that the story bounces around between the various characters a bit more than I would like. I feel like there could have been improvements made in the flow of the story, but it works. Although, I am not the intended audience, I can't help but figure out who the author desires to reach. While centered around Charlie, age six, there is langauge relating to an non disclosure agreement due to his role as a consultant. I agree with pushing a child's vocabulary but I am not sure that even at eleven someone would be able to understand the content, much less read it.
I enjoyed it and I am sure you will too. I did not read it to my kids, so it may work in that environment and I am simply unaware of it. I hope that you will give it a chance and I hope that there are opportunities for other works of this author. I enjoyed the story even if I have my opinions about how it flows and the vocabulary. Although it may seem that I have been harsh, I did like the overall story and feel as if I did not waste my time. I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.