My daughter's first chapter book. She loved it. ( )

Four-year-old Sophie struggles with older brothers.

It's been many years since I read and loved the Sophie books. They are, alas, now out of print in the US. However, I was scrambling to find something for a very reluctant reader who is only interested in farming and thought that this just might click, although it's a very long-shot to ask a 2nd grade boy to be interested in the adventures of a four year old girl.

Sophie is small, sturdy, and determined. And what she's most determined about is that she is going to be a lady farmer. She will have a cow, two hens, a pony and a spotty pig. Meanwhile though, she practices on the snails, wood lice, and other small creatures in the backyard. The book contains a selection of chapter-length stories as Sophie interacts with her older twin brothers, "helps" Daddy with a bad back, and has a run-in with the new neighboring girl, Dawn.

This has a higher reading level than the average chapter book, and quite a few Britishisms. Sophie is a unique and funny character, and her stubborn refusal to bow to the wishes of her family and neighbors in being more ladylike, giving up her "farm" of small creatures, or overlook what she perceives as injustice will charm readers who can sympathize with adults who just don't understand.

Verdict: But is it worth digging out of the back shelves or storage for use in a book club? Or looking for UK editions to add to the library? There was only one copy in my consortium (with a very grotty cover - not the one pictured), so I had to place inter-library loan requests. I ended up with about 5 copies and I think only 1 checked out. They all had the old, ugly cover though. I'm afraid this book's time has passed.

2 ILL no CC

Set in Britain, this story relates the daily antics of a lively four-year-old girl. Sophie likes cornflakes, sunglasses, card games and great-great-aunt Alice. She is less fond of dresses, sardines in tomato sauce, plastic ponies and Dawn, her young neighbour. The discovery of a yellow snail sparks Sophie's interest in the animal kingdom. Someday, she decides, she would like to buy her own farm, and she starts a fund for the cause. In the meantime, Sophie is content to use the potting shed as a barn for a wide assortment of tiny creatures. Charming illustrations complement King-Smith's ( Babe the Gallant Pig ; Harry's Mad ) down-to-earth style and gentle wit.

Sophie's ambition is to become a lady farmer, as she explains to her family in great detail, including the names of the cow, hens, pony, and spotted pig she plans to buy when she saves enough "munny." In the meantime, she is honing her skills by keeping flocks and herds of wood lice, earwigs, and her favorite animals--snails. Her humorous antics, her dealings with her rambunctious six-year-old twin brothers, and her unique philosophies of life all ring pure and true and will leave their mark on readers. Minter-Kemp's numerous black-and-white line drawings capture the family's warmth and highlight the fun. For those children with an appreciation for the small wonders in life, add Sophie to your lists.