Amelia Bedelia Digs In

Herman Parish's Amelia Bedelia Digs In is a seaside chapter book for 6 year olds about a girl who takes every word literally, and then falls straight into a mystery.

What happens

Amelia Bedelia is back at the beach with Mum, Dad, her dog Finally and Alice, her best friend from camp. Her cousin Jason is there too. He's a surfer now, and he seems to know everyone in town.

The jokes start on the bridge and don't stop. Dad bangs his head on the car boot and says he's seeing stars, so Amelia Bedelia looks round for famous faces. Mum says they can like it or lump it. Well, Dad's already got the lump!

Alice is the perfect partner for all this. The two of them giggle until they cry, and it's lovely to read a friendship where they're "plugged into each other's brains".

There's a surfing lesson with Jason's friend Roger, who calls them groms and makes them practise popping up on the sand until their legs scream. There's a sail round the bay with her friend Pearl (will Pearl and Alice get on?). And Amelia Bedelia's first real wave ends face-first in the sand, all because she looked down at her feet.

Then comes a cookout at Aunt Mary's new cottage on Blackberry Island. Her husband Bob has framed a scrap of very old paper above the fireplace. It's a map, and it has an X on it. Everyone laughs when Amelia Bedelia asks about pirate treasure. Bob has already searched every inch with his metal detector.

Later, sent out to pick blackberries at sunset, Amelia Bedelia hears a CRACK under her feet...

It's a proper little adventure, but a gentle one. She's scared for a moment, and then her dog and her friends come running. There's even a little box of real history (pirates and barbecues turn out to be linked, who knew?).

If your reader likes their jokes silly and their mysteries not too scary, this is a treat. The wordplay is great fun to spot together, too.

What to read next

For an earlier beach holiday with Aunt Mary and cousin Jason, go back to Amelia Bedelia Sets Sail. Same seaside town, same traffic on the bridge and just as many mix-ups.