Sophie The Awesome

Gr 2—4—Third-grader Sophie Miller decides that she is too boring and needs another name, like Nate the Great or Ramona the Brave, so she becomes Sophie the Awesome. The only problem is that no one realizes that she is so amazing. She tries to be awesome in music class by playing her instrument too loudly. Then she tries by jumping on the stairs, which is against the rules, and she ends up in the nurse's office. Other attempts such as stuffing her mouth with French fries and jumping rope fail to show her "awesomeness" as well. Only when Sophie prevents a kindergartner from running into a busy street does she change her name to one she deserves: Sophie the Hero. This is an early chapter book. However, in some of the cartoon drawings, the children look like middle schoolers. Sophie is a self-centered protagonist whose friends are there to serve her needs, but she does not reciprocate. Although she redeems herself in the end, readers may not get that far.—Elaine Lesh Morgan, formerly at Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR