Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3-5. Having been previously self-published by Gownley, the first five episodes of the Amelia comics are now available in a newly minted edition, with some unpublished art and an introduction by children's author Megan McDonald, whose characterudy Moody could be fourth-grader Amelia's soul sister. Moody is certainly an apt term for Amelia, who is getting used to life with her newly divorced mom and her hip, young aunt Tanner; settling in at a strange new school; and finding a group of friends. Amelia is no sweet innocent, nor are her three G.A.S.P (Gathering of Awesome Superpals) buddies: Reggie, superhero in the making; Rhonda, Amelia's tough bete noire with a fourth-grade thing for Reggie; and quiet, mysterious Pajamaman.ealousy, meanness, sadness, and confusion, as well as surprising generosity, and love crisscross the pages in energetic, freewheeling, full-color cartoon art that unwraps a kid's-eye view of life honestly, poignantly, and with a hefty dollop of melodrama. --Stephanie Zvirin Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Nine-year-old Amelia McBride's parents have just divorced, and she and her mom now live in a new town with her Aunt Tanner, a Bob Dylan-quoting rock musician. Amelia makes some new friends-nutty superhero-in-training Reggie, loudmouth Rhonda, and the totally silent Pajamaman-only to discover on the first day of school that they're the school's geeks and, by association, so is she. This book, previously published by Renaissance Press as Amelia Rules: In with the Out Crowd, is side-splittingly hilarious while also dealing sensitively with the problems that children of divorce face. With a Peanuts-like look and Charles Schulz's impeccable comic timing, a Calvin and Hobbes sort of attitude, and even a Yellow Kid homage (in Pajamaman's ever-changing chest emblems), this will appeal to the broader audience of comic strip readers as well as to comic book fans. (Only one small complaint: someone should check the spelling.) Throw in a wonderful Christmas story, which should be turned into an animated special immediately, and an Eisner Award nomination for best title for a younger audience, and the result is a book highly recommended for all ages and all libraries. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.