Sophie Sacks Popular Books

Sophie Sacks Biography & Facts

Sophie is a series of six children's books written by Dick King-Smith, and illustrated by David Parkins. The six books were written between 1988 and 1995. Plot It is implied that the canon takes place from mid-1991 to December 1995 (see below for details), and follows the adventures of the titular character, Sophie, between the ages of four-and-a-bit, and roughly one week after her eighth birthday (Christmas Day, 1995). It is implied in 'Sophie Hits Six' that her family lives somewhere near Wessex, but at the end of the final book, the family relocate to the Scottish Highlands. The youngest of three children, she lives with her mother and father, and her identical twin brothers - Matthew and Mark - both two years older than her. She is a keen animal lover, and over the course of the six books she acquires various pets, including a cat (Tomboy), a rabbit (Beano), a dog (Puddle), and finally a pony (Lucky). During this time she starts school, goes on family holidays, and has riding lessons. She is constantly supported throughout the books in her ambition to become a 'Lady Farmer', and saves up 'farm money' (i.e. pocket money) so that one day she can purchase a farm. At the end of the final book, 'Sophie's Lucky', after her beloved Great-Great-Aunt Alice ('Aunt Al') peacefully dies of old age, she is left a Scottish farm as her eventual inheritance. Characters Sophie – The titular character in the series. Her birthday falls on Christmas Day, and it is indirectly implied that she was born on 25 December 1986 (see below). In the first book she is four years old. She is often described as wearing a faded blue jumper with her name written on it, jeans and red wellies, and her hair is often quoted as looking like she's come through a hedge backwards. Her sole ambition in life - revealed in 'Sophie's Snail' - is to become a Lady Farmer. To this end she initially keeps 'flocks and herds' of various insects such as woodlice, earwigs and snails, down in the garden potting shed. However, as the series progresses, she accrues a collection of pets such as a cat named Tomboy (the focus of 'Sophie's Tom', a rabbit named Beano, a dog named Puddle ('Sophie Hits Six') and eventually a pony named Lucky ('Sophie's Lucky'). She is repeatedly described by several characters in the book, such as her family members and teachers, as 'small but very determined'. Despite often coming across as practical, stubborn and stern to other people, she is portrayed as loveable to her animals. She repeatedly employs certain phrases throughout the books, exclaiming 'yikes' when amazed or alarmed, and frequently describes people with whom she is displeased as 'mowldy [sic], stupid and assive'. The stories are told from Sophie's point of view, and there is the implication that she perceives certain animals she encounters as using the same phrases, or possessing the same traits, as she does. In 'Sophie's Snail' a snail Sophie finds is described as 'small but very determined', and in 'Sophie's Tom', when Tomboy catches a mouse and Sophie scares Tom away from it, Tom is described as making a sound that is remarkably similar to 'Yikes!' Sophie disapproves of crying ('Sophie's Tom'), of telling lies ('Sophie's Snail') and of telling tales ('Sophie Hits Six'). However, her eyes fill with tears upon discovering that her parents have in fact bought Puddle the puppy at the end of 'Sophie Hits Six'(see below); and when Aunt Al dies, she is described as having gone down to the potting shed on her own, looked at Beano the rabbit (see below), remembered Aunt Al giving him to her, and broken into 'a really good howl' ('Sophie's Lucky'). Matthew and Mark – Sophie's identical twin brothers. Two years older than Sophie, they are practically indistinguishable in appearance to outsiders. They also speak and act very similarly, often saying the same things at the same time, though they don't always dress identically ('Sophie's Snail'). They love making visitors guess which twin is which, lying if the visitor correctly identifies them ('Sophie's Snail'). At times they can be quite disparaging of Sophie, running off and leaving her alone at times despite their parents' instructions to include her in their games, and initially telling her that she cannot be a farmer since 'farmers are men' ('Sophie's Snail'). Nevertheless, they are loyal and supportive of her in important or difficult situations. They give her a tractor and trailer for her birthday and Christmas combined in support of her aspirations, and call Dawn a 'beastly girl' for squashing one of Sophie's woodlice in 'Sophie's Snail'. They take time out from their football to watch and support her and Andrew practicing for the three-legged race in 'Sophie Hits Six', and describe her as having been 'brilliant' in her role as the Pied Piper in 'Sophie is Seven'. Their catchphrase involves Matthew saying "I know!" and Mark saying "I know what you're going to say!" in various situations, to which other family members sometimes interject with '...And so do I,' usually with disapproval or resignation. They are very sporty, are fast runners, and are often seen to be playing football. Mother and Father – Sophie's mother and father are a traditional married couple of unspecified age. They initially humor her decision to become a lady farmer, but as they come to realize that she is serious in this ambition, they do whatever they can to help. Sophie's mother, being 'clever' at art ('Sophie's Tom'), is described as having drawn five different farm animal pictures - a pig, two hens, a cow, and a Shetland pony - all of which hang on Sophie's bedroom wall above her bed. She is gentle and patient with Sophie when Sophie uses malapropisms (a running gag throughout the series), or gets the wrong idea about certain things (such as her 'sponsored walk' in 'Sophie Hits Six'). Sophie's father is said to like all animals except cats, but under Sophie's persistence, he soon allows Sophie to adopt a stray cat (Tomboy), and even takes a liking to her ('Sophie's Tom'). He is described as being fond of cricket ('Sophie is Seven', and is very into organizing sports at home, including the annual 'Olympic games' in late April for the twins' birthday ('Sophie's Tom'). He is occasionally seen to become somewhat impatient with Sophie's antics, such as when he has a bad back ('Sophie's Snail'); when Sophie pleads with him for a puppy ('Sophie Hits Six'); and when Sophie keeps interrupting the cricket ('Sophie is Seven'). The parents are never named in the series. We learn in 'Sophie Hits Six' that Sophie's father was never allowed to have a pet of his own growing up, but that Sophie's mother got her first dog - a terrier - when she was twelve. Aunt Alice – 'Aunt Al' as the children call her, is the Scottish Great-Aunt of Sophie's father, and so is Great-Great-Aunt to the children themselves. In 'Sophie's Snail' she reveals to Sophie that she is eighty. In 'Sophie Hits Six'.... Discover the Sophie Sacks popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Sophie Sacks books.