Sophie Trophy Too

Written by Eileen Holland

Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan

Crwth Press

978-1-7753515-7-3

96 pp.

Ages 6-9

March 2020

Sophie Trophy, the third grader from Eileen Holland's first early reader in the series (Sophie Trophy, 2019), returns with a story about learning to manoeuvre through school and social situations that regularly put her at odds with other students and even her principal.

When a new student, Hailey, joins their class, Sophie is intrigued, especially as Hailey seems not to be scared or shy. Sophie is perplexed by the ease with which Hailey is making friends, especially with Enoli, one of Sophie's best friends and the girl Hailey sits beside. But, as much as Sophie would like to be friends with Hailey, all she does seems to get her in trouble and give Hailey a bad impression.

Much of the poor impression is related to Sophie's enthusiasm for the class's upcoming assembly presentation. Their teacher, Miss Ruby, has planned on a performance of a song about the sun and the moon with all the students using flashlights to enhance the production. Sophie is so enthralled with her flashlight that she carries it with her and gets caught using it in the bathroom, the school's sick room and the staff room. Each time, the principal Mr. Homewood has to get involved.

Moreover, even when she's just being herself, painting in class, showing interest in Hailey's show-and-tell plant or trying to help Hailey when she drops her flashlight, things go awry, and Sophie causes more accidents and has Hailey declaring, "It's wrecked, because of you." (pg. 75) These are harsh words for a little girl who never intends to do harm but whose actions regularly bring about some upset. Happily Sophie's good nature and determination to make things right ultimately deliver Hailey's forgiveness and friendship.

From Sophie Trophy Too by Eileen Holland, illus. by Brooke Kerrigan

Though Eileen Holland never labels Sophie as a child with a learning disability or ADD/ADHD or on the spectrum, the child's actions suggest some character which may challenge her, particularly in her impetuousness or decision-making or social interactions. She is a bright and imaginative girl who is compassionate but whose complexity of thought sometimes gets her into trouble. Whether choosing to sneak into the school's sick room or into the staff room closet to play with her flashlight, or falling when she tries to sneak a peek at a box of surprises, Sophie's actions are seen as irresponsible or inappropriate. Her classmates may get a laugh from her antics but even Sophie wonders whether they are laughing at her or with her. That's something many parents and teachers forget about children who are dealing with some invisible disability like Sophie. These young people are confused by their peers' reactions, and those of the adults in their lives, regarding their actions which are done without malice but may have unfortunate repercussions. When Sophie gets paint on Hailey's new boots, it is an accident but one that could have been prevented. Unfortunately, Hailey just saw the consequences of that situation and Sophie could not look back and see what she could have done differently.

Eileen Holland keeps Sophie's story at the emotional level of children in the younger grades, making Sophie Trophy Too an exceptional early reader. Young readers will feel for the girl with joie de vivre who gets caught doing thinks she shouldn't be doing. They'll know that feeling, unfortunately. And they'll understand wanting to fit in and be liked and sometimes messing up. Still Eileen Holland takes a light approach to Sophie's foibles, something that illustrator Brooke Kerrigan depicts sweetly in her few sketches, and Sophie Trophy Too becomes the story of any child struggling to fit in.

Sophie Trophy

Written by Eileen Holland

Illustrations by Brooke Kerrigan

Crwth Press
978-1-7753319-3-3
120 pp.
Ages 6-9
March 2019 

No, her last name is not Trophy but when her friend Brayden thinks she deserves it as a nickname for her goofy ideas, he's actually applauding her imagination which is stellar. Unfortunately, her classmate Jordy begins to use it as a taunt whenever she does something a little...different.  But it's just Sophie's creativity getting ahead of the third grader.

When Brayden brings a spider to school in a jar, it sets off a series of unfortunate events, all thanks to Jordy's removal of the lid and his exaggerated response to the spider. "It attacked my nose! I may have to go home sick." (pg. 7) But what's worse is that Miss Ruby, their teacher, obviously does not like spiders.  The next day, when Sophie, who sits in the front row, spots the spider first jiggling above Miss Ruby's voluminous hair and then falling into it and onto her hoop earring, Sophie ends up getting sent to the principal's office because of her outrageous and seemingly rude directives to her teacher.

At the office, Sophie's thoughts go wild, launching off of the secretary's pencil, an eraser she finds, and a gold pen she discovers on the floor.  But nothing is ever simple when Sophie gets an idea. Before all is resolved with Sophie and her teacher and the spider safely returned to its new home outdoors, the little girl breaks a special pen belonging to Mr. Homewood (whom she calls Mr. Homework), finds herself stuck hanging out his office window before falling and getting covered in mud and accidentally tripping Jordy.  In the end, the whole story comes out and Sophie makes sure Jordy knows she doesn't appreciate the way he uses her nickname. There may even be a happy dance from a spider.

From Sophie Trophy by Eileen Holland, illus. by Brooke Kerrigan

Early reader fiction is tough to write well. Too often the books are too juvenile–children tend to read up i.e., higher than their age–or lack the content to develop stories fully. They can't rely on illustrations to carry the bulk of the story as is possible in picture books–though Brooke Kerrigan's black-and-white sketches enrich the story–and don't have the volume of text to establish characters and plots as read in middle grade novels. But, when it's done well, as BC's Eileen Holland does in Sophie Trophy, young children get to know a few great characters, can empathize with their stories and cheer for an ending that makes sense without being artificial. Sophie is likeable and, while prone to day dreaming which includes musings about the mundane and the fantastic, it all comes from a good place. Her intentions are driven by her heart as she tries to protect her teacher from a spider, to prevent her friend from getting in trouble for bringing the spider to school, to repair her principal's special gold pen, and to keep the spider safe. For Sophie, doing the right thing just happens to occur while she's imagining ears flying off to overhear conversations and readying herself to swat at her teacher with a fish net. Never a dull day for Sophie Trophy, queen of the quirky ideas.

Sophie Trophy: Book launch (Coquitlam, BC)

Join author

Eileen Holland

for the launch 

of her novel for early readers

Sophie Trophy

Written by Eileen Holland

 Crwth Press

978-1-7753319-3-3

120 pp.

Ages 7-9

March 2019 

on 

Saturday, April 6, 2019

2-4 p.m.

at

Coquitlam Public Library 

(City Centre Branch)

 1169 Pinetree Way

Room 136

Coquitlam, BC

From Crwth Press's website:

Sophie is thoughtful and funny and full of ideas. When her friend Brayden brings a spider to school in a jar, Sophie’s excited to study it. But then a classmate frees the spider in the Grade 3 classroom.

Their teacher, Miss Ruby, is terrified of spiders. Sophie wants to save her teacher from the eight-legged intruder without getting Brayden into trouble for bringing it to school. That means getting the spider out of the classroom without letting Miss Ruby know what’s going on.

This is no easy task, and soon Sophie's wacky plans and wild imagination land her in the principal’s office—and hanging upside down outside his window.

Young readers will love Sophie’s antics, her loyalty to her friends and her determination to do the right thing at any cost.

Retrieved from https://www.crwth.ca/sophie-trophy/ 

on March 22, 2019.