Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish; Illustrated by Fritz Siebel ( Harper Collins, 1963)
Oh Amelia, you really are not the sharpest tool in the shed. I have to admit that until right now I have never read a book about Amelia Bedelia. During the course of this semester I have heard numerous stories of how students love this series. OK, my curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to know what was so great about this book. I am still wanting to know what is so great about this book.
So I understand that Amelia is a maid and makes several mistakes. An ordinary person would have been fired if they would have made all of these mistakes. But yet, since she can make an amazing pie, she gets to remain. Come on, how unrealistic is that? Don't we want to show our students that it is hard work and attention to detail that makes one successful, and not how well you can bake a pie? Don't get me wrong, I understand how the humor plays into everything, but it just seems a bit unrealistic.
With that said, I would not keep this series away from my library just for the pure fact that they are hilarious. Amelia obviously was raised to take things literally but that is part of the fun of this series. Amelia, I may not agree with the way you do things, but you make me want more just to see if you ever manage to get fired.
Intended audience: Kindergarten through 6th.
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