Sophia’s War by Avi (5th grade)

Quality Rating: 4.5 of 5

"Only a man who can esteem Sophia’s intelligence is worthy of her beauty." (Avi 11)

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Overview:

Sophia’s War provides an intriguing glimpse into life in the colonies during the American Revolution by following the story of a teenage patriot, Sophia. This book primarily centers on Sophia’s engagement as a Revolutionary spy, yet is interwoven with details of her twisted infatuation with a much older Loyalist, John Andre. The bulk of the story— the parts of the plot centered on Sophia’s civic engagement as a spy— is laudable for its promotion of feminist values, its incorporation of accurate historical information (for the most part), and its encouragement of civic engagement on the part of young and old alike. However, I urge educators to approach the storyline of Sophia’s romantic interest with care and caution.

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Strengths:

1. Feminism!

Sophia’s wit, courage, and determination equip her as the story’s primary hero. She confronts sexism throughout the story as people doubt her because of her gender; she acknowledges the injustice of it, and presses onward in her goal of thwarting loyalist efforts.

One of my favorite feminist moments is early on it the book, when Sophia laments the absence of her brother. She states that she “need[s]” him in order to survive the challenging circumstances of the war. In response, her mother snaps and shouts “Sophia… find your own courage!” This sends a message of hope and strength to girls everywhere: that we don’t need men! We have our own courage to lean on!

2. Encourages Student Activism

Sophia is young! We meet her as an aspiring patriot activist at 12 years old, and she successfully completes her undercover mission at age 15. The book does exaggerate the role a single young person could have had on the Revolution (it indicates that Sophia was to thank for the entire success of the Revolution… Questionable…), but this exaggeration stirs the hope in our students that they, too, can make a difference in their communities and country at young ages.

3. Engages Students with History

Sophia’s story provides an up-close and personal take on the American Revolution, which our students long for when our social studies lessons are limited to textbook entries and lists of places and dates.

4. Poses Intriguing Ethical Questions

This book explores a number of ethical questions that can engage students in meaningful discussion (and meaningful writing) that relate to modern day issues. These include:

- Is lying justifiable when it serves a noble cause? (Avi 22)

- Why is it important for noble words to be accompanied by action? Why is acting according to our values more difficult than speaking about our values? (142)

- What is the difference between “revenge” and “seeking justice”? (127, 277, 302)

- Is there ever truly a “winner” when it comes to war? (106)

- How does “cruelty beget cruelty”? (89)

- “Which comes first… fear or hatred” (28)

5. Rich Language

The language is complex; Avi incorporates an abundance of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary (as defined by Beck, McKeown, & Kucan— see reference page). The Tier 2 vocabulary (such as “sauntering,” “dumbfounded,” and “render,” equips students with vocabulary that will prepare them for the ELA standardized tests and, in general, will guide their comprehension of more advanced literary texts, regardless of the topic. The Tier 3 vocabulary terms (words such as “lieutenant,” “revolution,” and “fort”) are content-area specific; these are the terms that are key to students’ understanding of social studies.

In addition to building students’ vocabulary, the text shines with examples of simile and metaphor. We can point out these examples to students, and encourage them to employ similar techniques in their own writing.

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Concerns:

1. The Much Older “Love” Interest

For those of you who haven’t read Sophia’s War, be warned: many passages in the book are devoted to 12-year-old Sophia trying to reconcile her infatuation with 26-year-old John Andre and determining whether he returns her romantic feelings. The text, for the most part, implies that Sophia’s infatuation is one-sided. Yet, it also leaves room for interpreting that Andre held more than just an innocent affection for the child— as evidenced by the poem he gives her:

No matter how young the flower

Which has yet to bloom

The time will come, its finest hour

When she’ll be the prettiest in my room. (Avi, 59)

Whether or not it was the author’s intention at the time the book was written, modern day 12-year-olds will pick up a sexual connotation from the last line. The possibility of a pedophilic interest on Andre’s part is further implied on p. 173 when a peer unabashedly tells Sophia that Andre “likes” her.

Some might argue, it was a different time! Marriage ages were probably much younger back then, and large age differences were probably more common. Actually, though, demographic data from the mid 1600s to early 1800s in the colonies indicates that, on average, women married in their early twenties and that age differences were usually quite minimal— no more than a few years (Wells).

Sophia keeps her feelings for Andre— and her musings of his reciprocated interest— secret from her parents. At one point she even lies to her mother, denying that she ever had feelings for Andre (Avi 80).

Clearly this holds problematic implications. We wouldn’t want our students to walk away endorsing Sophia’s inappropriate (and secret) relationship with a much older man. So what do we do? Ban the book from our classrooms?

I’m not sure censorship is the answer here. In the world in which we live, it is, unfortunately, just a matter of time before students hear of real-life inappropriate or even abusive relationships. Perhaps literature performs a safe platform for exploring such dynamics. Perhaps, if our students learn to challenge Andre’s interest in Sophia, they will be more prepared to face unwanted attention in the real world and will have the discernment to avoid confusing predatory behavior with “charm.”

If you decide to go forward with reading the book, I suggest preparing yourself to point out to your students why the dynamics between Andre and Sophia are problematic. Such discussions should lead students to the following conclusions:

- That the relationship between Andre and Sophia was never okay, and that similar interactions between minors and adults are never okay.

- That Sophia should have told her parents immediately when Andre gave her the note and that she should have seen her urge to keep it secret as a sign that something was wrong with their interactions.

- That “charm” can be deceiving and that sometimes it takes more than just one person to see past surface-level charisma. Andre was an enemy to her family and to the patriot cause. Sophia saved herself (and her country) by listening to those around her and recognizing Andre as the snake that he was. Where would she have been if she hadn’t?

Readers (teachers especially) comment below with your thoughts! This book is used in SO many classrooms. How have you addressed the issue with Andre and Sophia?

2. The Vague mention of “Negroes”

Unfortunately, racially-charged language is bound to crop up in books that are either written pre- 1980s or set pre-1980s. This is the case in Sophia’s War. The term “negroes” is used in reference to black slaves throughout the book. We should be prepared to explain to students that such language is no longer appropriate.

These references to blacks all note their support of the British during the Revolutionary War. But the book never explains their motivations for supporting the loyalist cause and never brings up the fact that black slaves— such as Crispus Attucks and William Lee— also supported the patriot cause. It is important to provide students a broader (and, thereby, more accurate) perspective by bringing in supplementary readings on the role of blacks during the Revolution. See my suggestions below.

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Supplementary Texts:

… for some African American perspectives:

1. A Spy Called James: The True Story of James Lafayette, Revolutionary War Double Agent by Anne Rockwell

2. Answering the Cry for Freedom: Stories of African Americans and the American Revolution by Gregorie Christie

3. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

… for Spanish-speaking ELLs:

4. La Revolución Estadounidense by Christi Parker

5. La casa del árbol # 22: Guerra Revolucionaria en Miercoles by Mary Pope Osborne

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References

Avi. Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution. Beach Lane Books, New York, 2012.

Beck, Isabel L., et al. Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. The Guilford

Press, New York, 2013.

Wells, Robert V. "The Population of England's Colonies in America: Old English Or New

Americans?" Population Studies, vol. 46, no. 1, 1992, pp. 85-102.