Sophia's Clock A Story of World New Year Traditions: Exploring Traditions Around the World: for Kids Ages 8-12 introduction to Timezones

Every year, in the last hours of December, the old grandfather clock in Sophia's hallway begins to glow. When she touches its cool glass face, the whole world rushes past her - and she finds herself standing barefoot on a beach in Tonga, right at the very first midnight on Earth. From there, the clock carries her onward, moment by moment, to eleven more places, each one arriving at its own New Year. Along the way, Sophia eats twelve lucky grapes timed to a clock tower's midnight chimes in Spain, watches 108 temple bells ring away the old year in Japan, helps smash a pomegranate on a doorstep in Turkey, and burns a straw man stuffed with a whole year's troubles in Ecuador. She meets a new friend in every country who shows her how their family celebrates - and slowly begins to understand something the grandfather clock has been trying to teach her all along: New Year's midnight doesn't happen everywhere at once. It sweeps slowly around the entire planet, taking almost a full day to make its way home. Sophia's Clock is a journey through twelve real, wonderfully unusual New Year traditions from Tonga to Ecuador - blending storytelling with just enough real geography and time-zone science to make young readers look at a clock differently. It's the third book in the Sophia series, following Sophia's Lantern (world Halloween traditions) and Sophia's Snow Globe (world Christmas traditions). Perfect for curious kids ages 6-12, homeschool geography and world-culture units, or as a family read-aloud on New Year's Eve itself. In this book, young readers will discover: - Twelve real New Year traditions from six continents - A gentle introduction to time zones and the International Date Line - A glossary of every custom and term along the way - A "Note on Time Zones" with a map showing Sophia's full route around the globe