The Birthday Party This is a story about a young girl named Sofia who is very excited about her upcoming birthday because it represents a big step in her life. That big step is moving from ages 9 to 10. In her mind Sofia feels that moving to age with two digits means she's one step closer to being a tween-ager and then a teenager and then being able to do more things in life. Sofia waits patiently to hear someone in her family talking about plans for her birthday party. Her birthday is two weeks away but surely her mom should be asking her what type of party theme she wants! Both her parents work and are busy all the time. Her little brother is only six so he just goes along with family plans - no questions asked. Maybe everyone in her family forgot her birthday. A week before her birthday Sofia decides she's going to plan her own party. She makes her own invitations and decorations and plans the refreshments. The day of her party her family decides to have a family outing. Sofia is totally upset and tries to figure out how to stall the family but has no luck. Her birthday is totally ruined until she arrives at the park for a big surprise.