Amelia's Family Ties (Amelia (Paperback American Girl)) [Paperback]

Marissa Moss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000 | Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Amelia (Paperback American Girl)

Ten-year-old Amelia records her thoughts and feelings about flying solo to Chicago to meet the father she has not seen since her parents divorced when she was an infant.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-Amelia and her notebook are back. She has finally written to her father, whom she has never met, and received a reply asking her to come meet him, her stepmother, and her half-brother at their home in Chicago. This is a big step for any child, but Amelia, feisty as ever, takes the plunge. She predictably loves baby George, hates Clara, and is unsure about her father until he finally says he's loved her all along. However, Moss does not candy coat the situation; she allows Amelia to voice her insecurities about what it means to have a father, to be angry at Clara for reading her notebook, to feel uncute in comparison to George, and even to think her dad's hairy hands are gross. The author once again has her finger on the pulse of her audience, who will appreciate Amelia's honest expression of her feelings. The text is handwritten and colorful line drawings decorate the pages.
Holly Belli, Bergen County Cooperative Library System, West Caldwell, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In the latest volume of the Amelia's Notebook series, Amelia records her experiences and feelings when she receives a letter from her father (who divorced her mother and left when she was a baby) and visits him in Chicago. Amelia's adjustment to her father and stepmother is realistically portrayed, with the good intentions, false starts, and awkwardness inherent in the situation. Toward the end of the visit, Amelia is able to ask her father the questions she's been asking herself for years and hear answers that begin to heal the hurt that her father's absence and silence caused. Jaunty ink-and-watercolor illustrations, purportedly Amelia's work, decorate every page of this highly readable book. The voice is consistently Amelia's, but the points of view of other characters, from her sister to her stepmother, come through as well. A fine addition to a popular series. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 38 pages
• Publisher: American Girl (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584850787
• ISBN-13: 978-1584850786
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,716,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marissa Moss has been telling stories and drawing pictures to go with them for as long as she can remember. She sent her first book to publishers when she was nine, but it wasn't very good and it never got published. She didn't try again until she was a grown-up, but since then she hasn't stopped.

The idea for the first Amelia's Notebook came from the notebook Moss kept when she was a kid. Amelia is a lot like her and the things that happen to Amelia really happened to Marissa (mostly).

Along with Amelia, Moss has created many characters and is especially drawn to history. Historical books allows her to imagine what it's like to be alive in a different place at a completely different time. And then there are the Max Disaster books which allow her to play with scientific experiments, inventions, and comic strips.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Are They Ties? Or Knots?, May 14, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Amelia's Family Ties (Amelia (Hardcover American Girl)) (Hardcover)

Did you think that a person could love their stepbrother more than their stepmother? If you don't, read Amelia's Family Ties by Marissa Moss. Amelia's Family Ties is about a girl that gets a letter from her dad and he is inviting Amelia to meet him and his family. Find out more by reading this wonderful book.
On a scale from 1 to 10 I would rate this book a 9. I like this book because it has a lot of detailed pictures that go with what she is telling about and I also like it because this could really happen.
I think that the author wrote this book because this might have been like her life or someone's she knew.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great!...But harsh..., July 23, 2005

By 

C. Cener - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amelia's Family Ties (Amelia (Hardcover American Girl)) (Hardcover)

I certainly understand how Amelia feels in "Amelia's Family Ties"...most of the time. In previous books, when she talked about her father, she seemed eager to know more about him. Now, when she gets the chance to meet him, she seems to have an awful time. Even though what her father did was wrong, he is still trying his best. OK, so the teddy bear wasn't for Amelia, but its the thought that counts, right? And what was with the "I hate you!" when Clara invaded Amelia's privacy? I would be mad to, but out of respect, for letting me stay as a guest in their apartment, and because she IS related to me, I wouldn't go THAT far. But, if you ignore Amelia's harsh reactions and feelings toward her new family, the books is really great, along with the rest of the series.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amelia does it again!, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Amelia's Family Ties (Amelia (Paperback American Girl)) (Paperback)

Now I am a 16-year-old girl who usually reads teenage series like 'Making Out', but I absolutely love the Amelia books. They are just awesome! I love the pictures that she draws, the stories she writes, and everything about her. In this book, Amelia finally talks to her father, who she hasn't met <since she was a baby, I think>. This book is wonderful. But if you want to get this book, you should definitely check out the other Amelia books. My favorites are this one, Amelia Hits the Road <the first one I got>, and Luv Amelia, Luv Nadia. Amelia rules! She has inspired me to keep my own journal to draw in. And....oh yeah, I guess Marissa Moss deserves a little bit of credit, though. =)