Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm [Hardcover]

Herman Parish (Author), Lynn Sweat (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Amelia Bedelia

Overdue for some fun?

If so, check out everyone's favorite-minded housekeeper, Amelia Bedelia. Nothing makes Amelia Bedelia happier than helping people and doing exactly as she's told. And what could be more satisfying than a day spent volunteering at the library?

But Mrs. Page, the librarian, is surprised when Amelia Bedelia steals away in the bookmobile for a bookstore visit. Can Amelia Bedelia explain that she was just trying to go by the book? Or will she have the book thrown at her for this latest misunderstanding?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-The literal-minded maid returns to create another ruckus. The author hauls out every corny pun and conceivable stereotype about books and libraries to introduce beginning readers to the joys of reading. Much of the wordplay is explained through the colorful illustrations. The book is, however, more of a string of events designed to include book-related puns than a cohesive story, and it's wordier than previous books in the series. Fans may welcome a new Amelia Bedelia title, but this one definitely doesn't live up to Peggy Parish's originals.
Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. A worthy addition to the Amelia Bedelia series, 40 years after the first adventure debuted, this latest escapade is set in motion when Amelia returns some books to the library. Mrs. Page, the librarian, needs new book jackets, so Amelia, naturally, obliges and fashions some cute little coats, complete with sleeves and buttons, for the books. From there, the queen of literal mindedness creates a clamor for bookmarks, makes a pen drop, and even drives off with the library's bookmobile. Parish fashions an enjoyable set of misunderstandings with a happy ending true to his aunt's formula (the head librarian laughs at being called "a know-it-all" and announces a parade), while Sweat's cartoony, watercolor-and-pen illustrations are in tune with the zaniness of previous Amelia Bedelia adventures. A fun visit to a familiar place, this is also a good introduction to such familiar phrases as "devouring a book," "judging a book by its cover," and "going by the book" (or as Amelia would hear it, "Go buy the book"). Abby Nolan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; First Edition edition (August 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060518901
• ISBN-13: 978-0060518905
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,446,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Herman Parish was in the fourth grade when his aunt, Peggy Parish, wrote the first book about Amelia Bedelia. The lovable, literal-minded housekeeper has been a member of his family ever since. Peggy Parish died in 1988. She would be proud and delighted to know that with Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia; Bravo, Amelia Bedelia!; Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor and now Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia, her nephew is carrying on -- for a new generation of readers -- the tradition she began years ago.

In His Own Words... "In true Amelia Bedelia fashion, I backed into writing these books about the literal-minded housekeeper who children laugh at and love. Amelia Bedelia was created by my aunt, Peggy Parish. Although she passed away in 1988, Peggy still received fan mail from children. They wondered when the next Amelia Bedelia book would be out. Then other children's authors wrote and volunteered to continue the series. I felt uneasy about Amelia Bedelia leaving our family. As I was in the fourth grade when she first appeared, I had literally grown up with her. So I decided to try to write a new Amelia Bedelia adventure. My two sisters and my family were very supportive and encouraged me. I'd had experience in writing advertisements. I reread the Amelia Bedelia stories to figure out what made them funny. I realized that everyday life overflows with idiomatic expressions, literalisms, and homophones. It's amazing more people don't get confused-besides Amelia Bedelia! My first book, Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia, took me a year to think about and one night to write. I had been collecting ideas, homonyms, and expressions. Whenever I heard them, I jotted them down: on napkins in restaurants, on my newspaper while riding the bus, and on agenda sheets in business meetings.

I stockpiled these fragments in a folder until one Sunday night, with my family asleep, I decided that it was now or never. I sat down around ten o'clock and began to write. I was so focused on the story that I finished as the sun came up on Monday morning. Naturally, the story needed revision, but the essence was captured in that all-night writing spree.

I am fortunate that my editor, Susan Hirschman, and the illustrator, Lynn Sweat, had worked with Peggy on many Amelia Bedelia books. That helped make the transition from Peggy's books to mine as seamless as possible.

I feel very lucky to be writing Amelia Bedelia books and continuing a family tradition. But the best reward was when a child wrote Peggy Parish a fan letter. It said that Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia is the best book she has written. To me, that's the highest compliment I could hope for."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reduces Children to Puddles of Laughter, January 16, 2005

By 

Naomi DeBruyn "faecanuck" (Victoria, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm (Hardcover)

2003, is Amelia Bedelia's 40th birthday! Yes dear readers, this lovable and seriously silly character is 40 years old. I didn't make Amelia's acquaintance until I had my first son, and he began school. That is actually longer ago than I would like to admit, but Amelia has been part of this family's life ever since, and kept the kids and even us adults entertained on more than one occasion!

Peggy Parish brought this delightful character to life in 1963, and Amelia Bedelia is still going strong today. Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm puts the housekeeper in the local library where she has a very unexpected adventure. You see, Amelia takes things that people say all too literally, so that they have to be very careful when speaking to this good-hearted young woman.

A day spent volunteering in the library ought to be fairly quiet, maybe even a little dull, but not for Amelia Bedelia. From the moment she brings in the books she's borrowed - all with their own knitted jackets - the excitement switch is set to "on!" Mrs. Page, the librarian is shocked when Amelia Bedelia vanishes with the bookmobile and one of the children. This time it doesn't look very good for Amelia Bedelia, she may be in deeper trouble than ever before. Hopefully she can explain to both Mrs. Page and her supervisor that she was only "going by the book."

You won't be able to keep a straight face through this adventure, and there is nothing more lovely than the sounds of children's laughter. See what happens when you introduce them to Amelia Bedelia - your lives will never be quite the same again!

Review Originally Posted at LinearReflections.com

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shreiks of delight!, November 20, 2007

By 

J. Arena (Williamsburg, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm (I Can Read Book 2) (Paperback)

The always literal-minded Amelia Bedelia helps out at her local library and in her typical fashion gets into tons of trouble by doing everything by the book! (Like making wonderful jackets for the books and actually dressing them up in lovely, stylish little garments!) Every mix-up that could happen in a library is there in true Amelia Bedelia style.

Of course, all's well that ends well, and the library has a wonderful contribution to the big parade, impressing the head librarian who is not, after all, a "know it all who has been around forever." (Why, she's not even the dinasour that Amelia was actually expecting.)

This will be a classic!

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as amusing as some others, November 3, 2011

By 

J. Grambo "Teacher" (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm (I Can Read Book 2) (Paperback)

Amelia Bedelia's visit to the library includes some unintentional misadventures, as all of her books do. How could she know that the book jackets the librarian was talking about didn't have sleeves and buttons?

In this book, Herman Parish does not seem to have quite the touch that his Aunt Peggy did. Some of Amelia's misunderstandings are quite awkward. For instance, when the librarian says she wants Amelia to be so quiet that she could hear a pin drop, Amelia THROWS her pen to the floor, making a loud noise. Amelia apparently mis-heard pen instead of pin, but even then, why couldn't she just drop the pen?

Because of the awkwardness, the final product is also not as funny as some earlier titles.