Amelia Bedelia Unleashed

Herman Parish's Amelia Bedelia Unleashed is a funny chapter book for 6 year olds about a girl who's desperate for a dog.

What happens

It starts at supper. Just as her parents lift their forks, Amelia Bedelia asks when they can have a baby. Lots of kids in her class are getting little brothers and sisters, and she'd quite like a turn. Her mum sprays water all over the table!

Then the doorbell rings. A lady called Gladys is on the porch, asking if anyone has seen her baby. Her baby turns out to be a tiny dog called Baby (Amelia Bedelia honestly can't decide if he's the ugliest baby she's ever seen or the cutest dog in the world).

Back at the table, Dad decides a dog is a lot like a baby. Mum is putting her foot down. So Amelia Bedelia checks under the table, and both of Mum's feet are flat on the floor.

That's how these books work. Grown-ups say "keep your eyes peeled" or "it's going to rain cats and dogs", and Amelia Bedelia hears EXACTLY what they said. Your reader gets to be one step ahead of her, which is a big part of the fun.

This is the second Amelia Bedelia chapter book. To work out what kind of dog she'd want, she helps her friend Diana walk ten dogs round the park. There's a bloodhound called Sherlock who can follow any smell, and a pack of five who tie her up like a maypole.

That's how she meets Charlie and his enormous poodle, Pierre. Pierre has a very fancy haircut, and some skateboarders tease Charlie about it. Amelia Bedelia's plan is to walk Pierre herself. It goes really well until a squirrel shoots past while she's standing on a borrowed skateboard.

There's a big dog show on Saturday night, and Charlie's mum is sure Pierre will win. Then there's a squirrel, some electric clippers and a poodle missing a big chunk of his coat. What would you do with a dog show a few hours away?

It's a lovely friendship story underneath. Charlie is embarrassed and worried, and Amelia Bedelia keeps finding ways to help without making a fuss about it.

It's an American book, so there are sidewalks, a diner and a dad whose jokes are truly terrible (step in a poodle, anyone?). Mum's eye-rolls are half the comedy.

What to read next

If they love the mix-ups at Pete's Diner, go back to Amelia Bedelia Means Business. She wants a new bike, her parents say they'll meet her halfway, and Pete asks whether she can cut the mustard.