Books in Sophie Hartley series

"Readers ready to graduate from Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones will find a kindred spirit in Sophie.” —Kirkus ReviewsSophie Hartley, age ten, does not want to be a teenager like all her other classmates. She vows she'll never be like her older sister, who has tantrums about her hair and almost everything else. No, Sophie likes being who she is right now—helping out at home, doing art projects, and hanging out with her two best friends. As usual, Sophie faces challenges and challengers with determination. With a typically realistic, humorous take on friendships and family, Sophie takes one step closer to growing up without compromising her sense of self.

Sophie is supposed to help out around the house, and that’s bad enough. But then her mother comes up with a job chart, and all of a sudden Sophie has a whole list of new chores to do. Some of them, like cleaning the downstairs toilet, are gross! “Menial,” says big brother Thad, who somehow manages to avoid doing any of his own new jobs. “No fair!” says Sophie. Sophie’s father went on strike when his beliefs were on the line. Now Sophie sees no alternative but to stand up for what she believes in. The ensuing battle of wills threatens to defeat even the indomitable Sophie. Will the Hartleys have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal from now on? Will they ever have happy family times together again?

Tt’s not easy being a nine-year-old kid in the middle of a busy, gifted family. Especially when the list of things you’re good at includes only two items—“Crying” and “Stopping crying”—and the list of things you’re not good at seems to be getting longer every day. When Sophie’s mom suggests that she’s good at being kind and just needs a little more practice, Sophie feels hopeful. But being kind to a grouchy old lady or her big sister, Nora, or the weird new girl at school isn’t as easy as it sounds. If only Sophie were a queen, she could practice being kind to commoners instead. It would be much more dignified and elegant. And she would finally get to wear her very own diamond tiara. . . .From the author of the popular Owen Foote books, here is a funny, observant novel about an irrepressible girl, as quirky and original in her own way as Owen is in his, in search of her own special talent.

Sophie is supposed to help out around the house, and that’s bad enough. But then her mother comes up with a job chart, and all of a sudden Sophie has a whole list of new chores to do. Some of them, like cleaning the downstairs toilet, are gross! “Menial,” says big brother Thad, who somehow manages to avoid doing any of his own new jobs. “No fair!” says Sophie. Sophie’s father went on strike when his beliefs were on the line. Now Sophie sees no alternative but to stand up for what she believes in. The ensuing battle of wills threatens to defeat even the indomitable Sophie. Will the Hartleys have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal from now on? Will they ever have happy family times together again?

Sophie Hartley is almost sure that her dad said okay when she asked for a baby gorilla for her birthday. Soon the kids at school want to know every detail about the gorilla, and dealing with her enthusiastic classmates gets harder as the big day approaches. When teenage sister Nora leaves their shared bedroom for her own space in the attic, and close friend Jenna shows signs of becoming a shrieker, Sophie finds it hard to remain optimistic. Maybe painting her windowsills purple will help. And maybe she’ll get the perfect present! Funny and believable, the story of a big birthday will please old and new Sophie fans.

Sophie Hartley, age ten, does not want to be a teenager. She vows she'll never be like her older sister, Nora, who has tantrums about her hair and almost everything else. Her older brother Thad is preoccupied with his girlfriend of the moment and doesn't seem to like the family anymore. No, Sophie likes being who she is right now, helping out at home, doing art projects, and hanging out with her two best friends. And another thing. Next year Sophie's class will see the movie about body changes, and her classmates are already buzzing about it. Sophie doesn't want to know about that embarrassing stuff yet. Does that mean she's immature? How can she prove otherwise? As usual, Sophie faces challenges and challengers with determination and resourcefulness. With the same down-to-earth, realistic, humorous take on friendships and family relationships praised in the three previous Sophie Hartley books, this fourth story brings the indomitable Sophie a step closer to growing up without compromising her sense of herself.

Tt’s not easy being a nine-year-old kid in the middle of a busy, gifted family. Especially when the list of things you’re good at includes only two items—“Crying” and “Stopping crying”—and the list of things you’re not good at seems to be getting longer every day. When Sophie’s mom suggests that she’s good at being kind and just needs a little more practice, Sophie feels hopeful. But being kind to a grouchy old lady or her big sister, Nora, or the weird new girl at school isn’t as easy as it sounds. If only Sophie were a queen, she could practice being kind to commoners instead. It would be much more dignified and elegant. And she would finally get to wear her very own diamond tiara. . . .From the author of the popular Owen Foote books, here is a funny, observant novel about an irrepressible girl, as quirky and original in her own way as Owen is in his, in search of her own special talent.

Sophie Hartley is almost sure that her dad said okay when she asked for a baby gorilla for her birthday. Soon the kids at school want to know every detail about the gorilla, and dealing with her enthusiastic classmates gets harder as the big day approaches. When teenage sister Nora leaves their shared bedroom for her own space in the attic, and close friend Jenna shows signs of becoming a shrieker, Sophie finds it hard to remain optimistic. Maybe painting her windowsills purple will help. And maybe she’ll get the perfect present! Funny and believable, the story of a big birthday will please old and new Sophie fans.

It’s not easy being a nine-year-old kid in the middle of a busy, gifted family. Especially when the list of things you’re good at includes only two items—“crying” and “stopping crying”—and the list of things you’re not good at seems to be getting longer every day. Sophie’s mom suggests that she’s good at being kind and just needs a little more practice. If only Sophie were a queen, she could practice being kind to commoners. And she would finally get to wear her very own diamond tiara.