Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Amelia McBride continues to face life's challenges head-on--and with humor. In Happy she learns more about her former-rocker aunt's past. Superheroes brings a new friend with a secret. Present dives into a box of family photos and mementos. Life gets philosophical. The humor and tumult of the transitional middle-grade years are tenderly explored in these well-illustrated graphic novels.

Kirkus Reviews

A standout graphic-novel series continues on its well-thought-out path. Precocious preteen Amelia McBride returns in a relatively somber seventh volume, in which she encounters her first adolescent existential crisis. Though she spends her days as Princess Powerful hanging with her superhero friends, G.A.S.P. (the Gathering of Awesome Super Pals), young Amelia is growing up and now straddles the line between angst-ridden adolescence and her fading carefree childhood. For the first time in her young life, she realizes that nothing is permanent, and not everything is fair: Her parents' marriage has dissolved into divorce; her friend's father is fighting in Afghanistan, which affects their relationship; her school's principal treats her unjustly and even her beloved rock-star Aunt Tanner, whom she counted on for support, is now on tour. Though it is a slender volume, Gownley does not shy away from tough topics, presenting them in a way that is both approachable and understandable to kids. Reminiscent of an illustrated Alice McKinley, Amelia is growing up with her readership and taking them along on her often bumpy voyage. With all of the tribulations Amelia must deal with, she paints an accurate portrait of what preteens must deal with and how fast they sometimes have to grow up. Well done; here's to the next installment. (Graphic fiction. 9-13) 

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

BOWEN, Fred . Quarterback Season . 144p. (Fred Bowen Sports Story Series). Peachtree . Aug. 2011. pap. $5.95. ISBN 78-1-56145-594-2 . LC 2011002673. Gr 4-6 CARLSON, Melody . Glamour . Bk. 5. 194p. (On the Runway Series). Zondervan . 2011. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-310-71790-4 . LC number unavailable. CAST, P.C. &; Kristin Cast . Dragon's Oath . 152p. (A House of Night Novella). St. Martin's . July 2011. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-312-33415-4 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up CHICK, Bryan . Riddles and Danger . Bk. 3. 304p. (The Secret Zoo Series). HarperCollins / Greenwillow . Oct. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-198927-8 . LC 2011005930. Gr 47 CROALL, Marie P. Under His Spell . Bk. 4. illus. by Hyeondo Park. PLB ISBN 978-0-7613-5602-8 ; pap. ISBN 978-0-7613-7076-5 ; ebook ISBN 978-0-7613-7188-5 . LC 2010035201. JOLLEY, Dan . My Boyfriend Bites . Bk. 3. illus. by Alitha E. Martinez. PLB ISBN 978-0-7613-5599-1 ; pap. ISBN 978-0-7613-7078-9 ; ebook ISBN 978-0-7613-7187-8 . LC 2010028723. ea. vol: 128p. (My Boyfriend Is a Monster Series). Lerner / Graphic Universe . Oct. 2011. PLB $29.27; pap. $9.95; ebook $21.95. Gr 7 Up DEVILLERS, Julia . Cleared for Takeoff . Bk. 3. illus. by Paige Pooler. 224p. (Liberty Porter, First Daughter Series) . S &; S. July 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9130-4 . LC number unavailable. Gr 36 DUEY, Kathleen . The Full Moon . Bk. 4. illus. by Sandra Tang. 128p. (The Faeries' Promise Series). S &; S / Aladdin . July 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8462-7 ; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8463-4 ; ebook $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-1300-9 . LC 2010019165. Gr 3—5 FISHER, Catherine . The Lost Heiress . Bk. 2. June 2011. ISBN 978-0-8037-3674-0 . FISHER, Catherine The Hidden Coronet . Bk. 3. July 2011. ISBN 978-0-8037-3675-7 . FISHER, Catherine The Margrave . Bk. 4. Aug. 2011. ISBN 978-0-8037-3676-4 . ea vol: 384p. (Relic Master Series). Dial . Tr $16.99. LC number unavailable. Gr 5 Up FRENCH, Vivian . The Flight of Dragons . Bk. 4. illus. by Ross Collins. 208p. (The Five Kingdoms Series). Candlewick . July 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5083-4 ; ebook $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5465-8 . LC number unavailable. Gr 4—6 FRIEDMAN, Laurie . Mallory's Super Sleepover . Bk. 16. illus. by Jennifer Kalis. 160p. (Mallory Series). Darby Creek , dist. by Lerner. Oct. 2011. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-8225-8887-0 . ebook $11.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-7948-5 . LC 2010044418. Gr 2—4 GOWNLEY, Jimmy . The Meaning of Life...and Other Stuff . Bk. 7. illus. by author. 160p. (Amelia Rules! Series). S &; S / Atheneum . Sept. 2011. Tr $10.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8612-6 . LC number unavailable. Gr 4—7 KATE, Lauren . Passion . Bk. 3. (Fallen Series). 432p. Delacorte . June 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73916-0 ; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90774-3 ; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89718-4 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up KIRK, Daniel . The Road's End . Bk. 3. 496p. (Elf Realm Series). Abrams / Amulet . 2011. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-0-8109-8978-8 . LC 2010038752. Gr 5—8 LASKY, Kathryn . Watch Wolf . Bk. 3. 288p. (Wolves of the Beyond Series). Scholastic . 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-09314-9 . LC 2010049786. Gr 4—7 MAGUIRE, Eden . Phoenix . Bk. 4. 288p. (Beautiful Dead Series). Sourcebooks / Fire . Oct. 2011. Tr $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-3947-2 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up MONTGOMERY, Lewis B. . The Case of the Missing Moose . Bk. 6. illus. by Amy Wummer. 96p. (The Milo &; Jazz Mysteries). Kane . Feb. 2011. PLB $22.60. ISBN 978-1-57565-331-0 ; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-1-57565-322-8 . LC 2010023478. Gr 1—4 PEARSON, Ridley . Power Play . illus. by Tristan Elwell. Bk. 4. 448p. (Kingdom Keepers Series). Hyperion / Disney . Apr. 2011. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-3857-0 . LC number unavailable. Gr 3—6 SCHREIBER, Ellen . Cryptic Cravings . Bk. 8. 224p. (Vampire Kisses Series). HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Bks. May 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-168945-1 . LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up SCIESZKA, Jon . Spaceheadz . Bk. 3. illus. by Shane Prigmore. 224p. (Spaceheadz Series). S &; S. Aug. 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-7955-5 . LC number unavailable. Gr 2—5 SHEPARD, Sara . Twisted . Bk. 9. 320p. (Pretty Little Liars Series). HarperTeen . July 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-208101-8 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up SIMON, Francesca . Horrid Henry Wakes the Dead . illus. by Tony Ross. 112p. Sourcebooks / Jabberwocky . Aug. 2011. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-5934-0 . LC number unavailable. Gr 2—4 SMITH, L. J. The Craving . Vol. 3. 256p. (The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries). HarperTeen . May 2011. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-200395-9 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up VAN DRAANEN, Wendelin . Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls /

ALA Booklist (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

Amelia's life has gotten very confusing. With cheerleading and crushes and school and near tragedies to deal with, is it any wonder she sometimes longs to be younger again? The seventh book in the Amelia Rules series is as well written and beautifully illustrated as readers have come to expect. Amelia and her friends are heading into middle school, and puberty is lurking, but the books remain a kid-friendly mix of humor and realism. This volume builds on the previous stories, so libraries will want to update and fill in their collections, especially now that the publisher is rereleasing the entire set.