Amelia Bedelia may have been around for awhile, but her ingenious wordplay is just as much fun as ever. Here she's drafted to write the headlines for the local school newspaper, and what fun she has with that! Readers will have fun, too, as they read about eggs hatching in the fourth-grade classroom ("Fourth Grade Full of Cute Chicks") and Amelia herself having a taste of a new brand of hot dog in the cafeteria ("Woman Bites Dog"). The ink-and-watercolor art neatly supports the silliness. Slightly longer than some beginning readers, the clever text will hold readers until the end.

PreS-Gr 3 A newspaper flying through the window and someone yelling "Duck!" set the stage for this latest story starring the goofy maid heroine. Peter, the paper carrier, enlists Amelia Bedelia to help him finish his paper route and then take him to school in the hope that the woman can provide an excuse for his late arrival. Luckily for her, the principal happens to need an adult to help with the school newspaper. These events pave the way for Amelia Bedelia to learn about the wonderful world of computers through her work on the School Scoop . With her literal thinking, it is quite amusing, and her headlines garner lots of attention. This engaging story lends itself to talk about homonyms, idioms, and newspapers, especially the craft of making headlines that grab readers' attention. Simple artwork and a controlled vocabulary make this selection a great choice for beginning readers. It might entice some classes to start newspapers of their own. Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN

The familiar, literal-minded housekeeper joins the school newspaper as editor for a day in Reporter; headlines such as "Librarian Off Her Rocker" and "Gardener Kicks the Bucket" nearly flop, but Amelia manages to garner praise. In Sleeps Over, a much younger Amelia enjoys a first sleepover with painting nails (no hammering), playing board (not bored) games, and more. Friendly, realistic vignette illustrations capture Amelia's well-intentioned goof-ups.