Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Amelia Bedelia is back and she's volunteering in the library in Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm by Herman Parish (the nephew of creator Peggy Parish), illus. by Lynn Sweat. Misunderstandings abound when literal-minded Amelia Bedelia heads to a bookstore after the librarian tells her """"to go by the book"""" (as in, """"rules are rules"""").

ALA Booklist (Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 2003)

A worthy addition to the Amelia Bedelia series, 40 years after the first adventure debuted, this latest escapade is set in motion when Amelia returns some books to the library. Mrs. Page, the librarian, needs new book jackets, so Amelia, naturally, obliges and fashions some cute little coats, complete with sleeves and buttons, for the books. From there, the queen of literal mindedness creates a clamor for bookmarks, makes a pen drop, and even drives off with the library's bookmobile. Parish fashions an enjoyable set of misunderstandings with a happy ending true to his aunt's formula (the head librarian laughs at being called a know-it-all and announces a parade), while Sweat's cartoony, watercolor-and-pen illustrations are in tune with the zaniness of previous Amelia Bedelia adventures. A fun visit to a familiar place, this is also a good introduction to such familiar phrases as devouring a book, judging a book by its cover, and going by the book (or as Amelia would hear it, Go buy the book).

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Although the wordplay is weaker than usual in this Amelia Bedelia book, the art is humorous and librarians will enjoy watching the hapless housekeeper have her way with the local library. A. B. knits little jackets for the books, tries to find a thesaurus ("What kind of dinosaur is that?"), and when the librarian says "take our bookmobile . . .", she does. All ends well, as it always does for this well-intentioned patron saint of the literal-minded.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-The literal-minded maid returns to create another ruckus. The author hauls out every corny pun and conceivable stereotype about books and libraries to introduce beginning readers to the joys of reading. Much of the wordplay is explained through the colorful illustrations. The book is, however, more of a string of events designed to include book-related puns than a cohesive story, and it's wordier than previous books in the series. Fans may welcome a new Amelia Bedelia title, but this one definitely doesn't live up to Peggy Parish's originals.-Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.