I purchased the D3100 for my wife for our 15th anniversary in 2011 for around $500. This is a similar and equally fantastic starter DSLR. We get amazing shots with little effort (I often tease her that she has the most expensive point-and-shoot camera ever).
I do recommend a second lens for longer shots, as the one that comes with it will only get you so far (har har). I have this one and it make this the perfect camera set.
Here’s a shot of my daughter (blue dress) in a recent production of Shrek, community theater performance. This was taken without flash, from about 7 rows back (with the zoom lens).
Canon offers its factory-refurbished Canon EOS Rebel T5 18-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera and Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS STM Lens, model no. 8595B016, for $307.99 with free shipping. That’s $48 under our December mention and $33 under the best price we could find for a new one. It features a a 3" LCD with Live View, scene intelligent auto mode, 3 fps continuous shooting speed, 1080p video recording, mini HDMI output, SDXC card slot, and mini USB. A 1-year Canon warranty applies.