Happy Birthday Sophie Hartley

Sophie Hartley wants a baby gorilla for her birthday.  When her Dad says yes she's excited.  However when it's time to tell the family she instead gets a shocking announcement from her older sister.  Her sister is moving out of her room and into the attic.  Sophie's story is entertaining and fun.

It's difficult for parents and teachers with young but advanced readers to find books that are interesting yet challenging.  This book has some very difficult vocabulary while still having a plot that young children will like and there are no major boy obsessions.  The book isn't overly long and the chapters are short.

Appropriateness:  This is a girl book, with lots of talk of bad girls and other things that third grade girls find important.  There is a chapter in which Sophie and her friend talk about bras and breasts (in a typical childlike way with lots of giggling and even some sock boobs).  It's enough to make a boy uncomfortable but not too much to alienate a young girl (it's a step down from Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.)  This book is on a fourth grade reading level with a lexile of 680.

Review copy obtained from Amazon Vine.