Amelia Bedelia Means Business

Amelia Bedelia Chapter Books #1

by Herman Parish, Lynne Avril (Illustrations)

When Suzanne, the new girl in Amelia Bedelia's class, arrives at school riding the most beautiful bicycle in the whole world, Amelia Bedelia decides she wants a new bike, too. But Amelia Bedelia's mom says that a bike like Suzanne's is so expensive it will cost an arm and a leg! What? Amelia Bedelia doesn't want to give away one of her arms and one of her legs. She'll need both arms to steer her new bike, and both legs to pedal it. Amelia Bedelia decides to get a job, so that she can earn the bike money instead. She tries:

1. Helping out at Pete's Diner
2. Opening a lemonade stand
3. Entering a contest to win a prize
4. Baking treats and selling them

Will Amelia Bedelia ever get the bike of her dreams?

Genres: Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Adventure

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2013

About the author

Herman Parish (born 1953) is the author of Amelia Bedelia children's book series, nephew of original author, Peggy Parish. Having grown up with his aunt’s tales of Amelia’s humorous misadventures, Herman decided to carry on the legacy after his aunt’s death in 1988. He did not wish to entrust the future of the series into the hands of a children’s author outside of the family. Since Peggy had the summers off from teaching, she was able to stay with the Parish family for extended periods of time, allowing Herman and Peggy to develop a close relationship. More importantly, this gave Herman a chance to keenly observe Peggy during her writing processes, gaining great insight to the road ahead of him. To carry on the essence of the series, Herman thoroughly examined his aunt’s work and did his best to capture what exactly made the character of Amelia Bedelia such a hit. Having editor Susan Hirschman and illustrator Lynn Sweat in common with his aunt helped to make the transition. He has added thirteen more books to the series. Herman is a resident of Princeton, New Jersey, and travels to libraries and schools across the United States, speaking and inspiring young children. The importance of revising and editing is often stressed during these dynamic lectures. He has presented to students in more than 22 states.

-Wikipedia

***The photo at left is of Herman with his aunt, Peggy Parish, in 1985.

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book + audio from youtube canal "Lights Down Reading". Amelia Bedelia is a very funny and hardworking girl.

Synopsis: "Amelia Bedelia makes her chapter book debut! In Amelia Bedelia Means Business, a New York Times bestseller and the first book in the new chapter book series, young Amelia Bedelia will do almost anything for a shiny new bicycle. This chapter book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 5 to 7 who are ready to read independently. It’s a fun way to keep your child engaged and as a supplement for activity books for children.

Amelia Bedelia's parents say they'll split the cost of a new bike with her, and that means Amelia Bedelia needs to put the pedal to the metal and earn some dough! With Amelia Bedelia, anything can happen, and it usually does. Short, fast-paced chapters, tons of friends, silly situations, and funny wordplay and misunderstandings make the Amelia Bedelia chapter books an ideal choice for readers of the Ivy and Bean, Magic Tree House, and Judy Moody books. Features black-and-white pictures by Lynne Avril on every page!"

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia, in "Amelia Bedelia Means Business", needs a new bike, so her parents give her the brilliant advice of getting a job to earn her own money. The problem is AB's inability to grasp figurative language, sarcasm, and idiomatic expressions such as "You're pulling my leg" or "Grab me that piece of pie, and step on it!". The resultant misunderstandings are funny but not necessarily for AB and her job prospects.

Herman Parish, the nephew of the original author of the Amelia Bedelia books, carries on the fun in a new series for middle school readers. My daughter, who is a third-grader, loves them.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Following the example of popular picture book and easy reader character Fancy Nancy, young Amelia Bedelia is now also the star of her own chapter book series. In the first installment of the series, Amelia Bedelia Means Business, the literal minded little girl finds herself in need of a new bike. Her parents, two very upbeat personalities who apparently don't know their kid very well, decide this will be a fun opportunity for their daughter to learn a little bit of business sense. They inform her that she can have the bike she wants when she earns half the cost. Undaunted, Amelia Bedelia heads out into her neighborhood hoping to find a job. Each time she is hired, though, she quickly loses her job because of her strange interpretations of the instructions she is given.

Up until now, I have generally held the opinion that the newer Amelia Bedelia stories, where she is a mixed-up child instead of a blundering adult, make more sense and are easier for kids to relate to. This chapter book adds a caveat to this statement; the new Amelia Bedelia should stick to the original easy reader format that made her parent series a success. What works so well in a brief story for beginning readers - plays on words and outright silliness - loses its magic in a longer deeper tale. Amelia Bedelia has always been the butt of the joke in her stories, but in a way kids really enjoy. In this book, the reader is asked to take her seriously and to believe that her parents, classmates and neighbors also take her seriously. This is too much to ask of readers who remember the original Amelia Bedelia's “date cake” from Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia and the way she “called the roll” in Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia. Even kids who don't know the classic stories will pick up on a sense of flatness in this book. The schtick that defines the essence of Amelia Bedelia only works if we don't try getting inside her head. This earnest treatment of her character ruins the joke and makes the reader feel oddly guilty for laughing at a character who views the world in a different way.

I think the audience most likely to enjoy this book are girls who are new to chapter books who haven’t necessarily developed an attachment to the old school Amelia Bedelia. When girls find Amelia Bedelia Means Business shelved beside the Nancy Clancy, Rainbow Magic, and Magic Tree House series, they will be drawn to the cartoonish cover as well as the universally understood desire for a brand-new bike. Six and seven year olds who don't mind heavily suspending their disbelief will laugh when Amelia makes cringe-worthy mistake after cringe-worthy mistake. For everyone else, though, it might be a better idea to look back fondly on those early days of reading Amelia Bedelia easy readers and look for some better written and more engaging chapter books. After all, we don't have Frog and Toad or Elephant and Piggie chapter books - and I hope we never do. Some characters just don’t translate well to a longer format, and based on this book, I believe Amelia Bedelia is one of those.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been ignoring the spin-off Amelia Bedelia books as I couldn't imagine them being as good as the original. But, the generally high ratings, and the fact that this one sounds perfectly suited to my seven-year-old's interests (bikes and starting a business) made me give it a try. It has a few good qualities. I appreciate that Amelia Bedelia is encouraged to work for the new bike she wants and her parents will pitch in half if she earns half (Which half of the bike should I earn? the front or the back? asks Amelia Bedelia. These sorts of things are funny in the picture book. They get a little wearying in chapter book format). I like the idea of making new friends and not completely demonizing the popular classmate who has the shiny new bike Amelia Bedelia so covets. I like that Amelia Bedelia tries and tries again when at first she doesn't succeed.... that when life gives her lemons she makes... well, you'll see.

However, I also have a major problem with all the havoc Amelia Bedelia causes and the lack of responsibility to make amends for it. This reviewer said it so well that I'm not going to bother articulating my own thoughts. They pretty much jive with hers: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finally, I was bothered by the fact that Amelia Bedelia lies and completely gets away with it and, worse,shows no remorse. In one of the earlier chapters, she is riding around town by herself on her bike. If she is old enough to be trusted with that, shouldn't she be old enough to know not to pick flowers from the town park or to understand what "Keep Off the Grass" means? When a policeman tells her she cannot pick the flowers, she apologizes and says she was picking the bouquet for her mother (true). The policeman lets her off with a warning if she takes the flowers right home to her mother. She replies, "I promise I will." She then sits on a bench and meets a woman who just lost her job. Amelia Bedelia says she wishes she could give the woman the flowers to cheer her up "But I just promised to take them home to my mom." A short while later, a man in the park asks if he can buy her bouquet for $10. Amelia Bedelia says, "No, they're for my mom. I promised." How about $20? the man asks. "Here you go!" says Amelia Bedelia cheerfully. When the policeman stops the man a few moments later and says the flowers look suspiciously like the ones from the park, the man says says he just bought them from a girl. And Amelia Bedelia starts running before the policeman can see her. And..... that's it and the story just moves on. So, she is willing to break her promise, if the price is right? She wasn't willing to break her promise to to cheer up a woman who lost her job (which is still breaking a promise albeit maybe for a "good cause") but she was willing to break her promise if it benefited her financially. What kind of message is all this sending to children? Fortunately, this was a read-aloud and provided a springboard for discussion with my son.

[Shashwat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The book is about Amelia and her adventures to get a new cycle. This book is thoroughly funny and it has become my new favourite. I especially enjoyed the last chapters where she not only gets the new bicycle but also helps Susan.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and punny.

[emily g · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read with my daughter… in 2013

[Elizabeth Tyree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alayna and I are really pleased with this young imagining of Amelia Bedelia. She still has the quintessential feeling of Amelia, but now we see her as an elemtary student that kids can identify with even more than her original, grown up self.

[Laura (kroosreadsandreviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story! My daughter didn't really get in to the book very much.

[Defne Keskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia understands every proverb and idiom like its true meaning.Every time she does it it makes me laugh😄

[Natalie [genreneutralreader] · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with these early chapter books, I rate on what my daughter thinks of the book. My daughter relates to Amelia Bedelia and so she loved reading a story where Amelia overcomes her shortcomings.

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw that a chapter book was being released featuring a younger version of Amelia Bedelia, the literal-minded housekeeper that I was introduced to way back when I was a child, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Although I primarily got the book for my own children, I must admit that I first read through "Amelia Bedelia Means Business" to see how this younger Amelia would measure up - and I can say that I am absolutely sold on this adorable Amelia! I laughed my way through this book, chuckling at Amelia's misunderstandings and mishaps as she tried her hand at various jobs attempting to earn money. Only Amelia can get into trouble the way she does! This book is chock full of vivid imagination, and the scenes simply spring to life. And I will even go out on a limb here and admit that at the end of the book, I had a tear in my eye. I'm not even entirely sure why, but it's probably because I have a daughter of the same age and I imagined how powerful a moment that the ending would be for my own daughter. I won't say more as I don't want to give it away. However, there is much to celebrate in this book - the importance of hard work and of not giving up, the blessing of friendship, and the wonderful and open relationship that Amelia has with her parents.

If you are looking for a fun, clean, and enjoyable read for your children, then Amelia Bedelia is just what you have been looking for. Make sure you pick up a copy of this book - your little ones will be glad you did, and you'll probably be just as entertained as they are! I highly recommend this book and award it 5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

[Muffin Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

who doesn't love Amelia Bedelia? Possibly the unfortunates that become victims of her literal interpretations of things. Amelia B. takes on some activities in an effort to make a quick buck and buy a bike so she can hot dog in front of her snotty friend Suzanne. She starts as a terrible waitress, working in a cafe that obviously laughs at child labor laws and - surprise, surprise, her waitressing is pretty terrible. That's okay - they give her five whole dollars and send her out the door. Then she tries to upstage a used car salesman by selling lemonade on his car lot without his permission. Her equally clueless parents call the media because it appears a lemonade stand is breaking news in this boring town.
Ms Bedelia then makes some lemon tarts that double as dog treats and sells them to the diner where she had been a waitress for five seconds. Clearly she did not tell the owner that the lemon tarts are dog treats. Not asking what the ingredients are or if they are safe for human consumption, the diner purchases the tarts to serve to customers.

Finally, Amelia enters a bike parade to try and win a free bike and advertise her tarts at the same time by dressing like a lemon. Chaos ensues when the dogs figure out she has some lemon dog treats on board and bikes are broken, floats trampled, and the dogs poop everywhere (it doesn't actually say this but I assume it happened.).

Oddly, the town rewards Amelia for her wave of destruction by giving her the free bike and she finally gets to show up that brat Suzanne at the end -

[Dorine White · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story-
I'm taking a look at book 1 in the new series- Amelia Bedelia Means Business. The author is Herman Parish, the nephew of the original Amelia Bedelia creator, Peggy Parish. The story revolves around Amelia's quest to earn money for a shiny new bike. She tries all sorts of things, from waitressing to having a lemonade stand to earn the money, often with disastrous results.

My Thoughts-
In my opinion, this new spin off series is decent for kids that aren't familiar with the original picture books. There is a lot of story added to make it a chapter book, with the occasional word mishaps. The reading is easy and the story line is funny. While the original books focused mainly on Amelia and her mishaps, the chapters books bring in several side characters including her parents, fellow students and town folk. I believe kids in 2nd grade and up will enjoy Amelia's zany antics. But, I do have to say that the original Amelia Bedelia books have a magic that these don't quite get.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herman Parish, nephew of Peggy Parish (who created Amelia Bedelia), has taken over the reins of modernizing Amelia Bedelia into new chapter book format adventures. It was delightful to visit the still very literal young lady as she tries out jobs to help her pay for a new bicycle. This book is hilarious and completely ready to charm another generation of readers.

[Pakhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Suzanne, the new girl in Amelia Bedelia's class arrives at school riding the most fascinating bicycle in the small world of this small child .Amelia Bedelia decides she wants a new bike too. But Amelia Bedelia's mom says that a bike like Suzanne's is so expensive it will cost an arm and a leg. What? Amelia Bedelia doesn't want to give away one of her arms and one of her legs. She'll need both arms to steer her new bike, and both legs to pedal it. So, Amelia Bedelia decides to get a job, so that she can earn money for her new bike . She tries - Helping out at Pete's Diner, Opening a lemonade stand, Entering a contest to win a prize and Baking treats and selling them. At the diner young Amelia had fun folding napkins, refilling bottles, fetching packets of sugar, and refilling salt and pepper shakers. All of suddern , Suzanne Scroggins and three other girls from her class showed up and Young Amelia was suddenly embarrassed by her uniform, so she ducked under the counter. Doris surprised her, then rewarded her with a strawberry milkshake. Then, a man named Mike came in. He wanted some dessert, and Doris had said that fast service was a piece of cake and easy as pie. Young Amelia had forgotten what Mike had ordered, pie or cake. She served him cake, but he wanted pie and asked for cherry pie, adding "Step on it!", so Young Amelia gave Mike some cherry pie and literally stepped on it, so Pete fired her. Young Amelia start a lemonade stand . Mrs.Bedelia explained what a stand is. You make and sell the lemonade. Young Amelia used all her money to buy on sale fifty bags of lemons. Her parents then decided she should name her business something catchy and advertise. Young Amelia asked if it was like Wild Bill's advertising and her dad said yes. Mrs. Bedelia then gave Young Amelia supplies for painting a sign shaped like a large lemon. But soon got boored and quit the idea. Then the owner of Petes dines Marcus Smith announced a prize they have , the most unique one wins a bike. It was a game of tarts. When it was turn of Amelia Bedelia she threw a tart into a cowboy's hat and wondered if it was a right decision . Then the mayor blew his whistle and it all went quiet. The mayor then made a speech on how Young Amelia meant business, which causes the crowd, to cheer. Then he announced that Young Amelia had won. The next day was the first day back at school and Young Amelia had gotten the red bike, but Suzanne was sad. Her bike had gotten run over, but cheered up when she and Young Amelia made friends. It was really an amazing book loved how clear and simply it was written. I would recommend everyone to read this book who love reading adventures and funny books.

[Mishika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia Means Business is a humorous book. Its main character is, of course, Amelia Bedelia. She has a determined, yet funny spirit. In this book, she is overawed by Suzanne’s new bike. She wants a new bike just like Suzanne’s, but she feels that her parents have teared her into two. It costs too much and she is disappointed that she cannot afford the bike of her dreams. She decides to earn half the money of the bike herself. She works many jobs such as lending a helpful hand in “Pete’s Diner”and starting a lemonade stand. Then, she hears about a competition held with the winner getting the same bike as Suzanne’s, only ruby red in colour instead of emerald green. She is overjoyed and takes part, hoping to win. She works hard and designs her bike like a lemon and a lemon tart. She meets with Suzanne and both the girls head off. Suzanne’s bike was decorated with rainbow stripes for the spokes of the wheel and a star in the centre. Amelia Bedelia got the bike of her dreams. On the first day of school, Amelia Bedelia rode up to the school, proudly, and locked her bike. She helped Suzanne mend her own bike which had been almost crushed under her mother’s car! This hilarious book got me laughing so much that I had stitches on my sides. I will treasure this book in my heart, forever.

[Gayatri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia Means Business is a story about a young girl who loves her bike until she sees her friend Suzanne’s fast emerald green bike with gears. Amelia also wants a new fast bike but it is so expensive that her parent can’t afford it. So they made a deal that Amelia has to pay half the amount and they will take care of the rest. So she is determined to do any will do almost anything that will help her pay for the bike. Will she get a new bike like Suzanne’s?

Herman Parish has written the story in a really enjoyable way in which you would enjoy every page. The way Amelia listens exactly to elders and misunderstands the phrases and proverbs is hilarious. Fast-paced chapters, tons of friends, silly situations, and funny wordplay and misunderstandings make the story more interesting to read.


One of my favourite quotes is -
“I am not going to stand for this” he yelled
“You don’t have to,” said Amelia Bedelia.” Have a seat. That’s why I brought chairs with me.”

This book can be read by all ages and can keep them engaged in the story.it can even lighten up your mood with its hilarious jokes. I would give this book a 4-star rating and I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.

[Shubhangi TM]

I have learnt a lot from the book Amelia Bedelia Means Business, one of such thing is that we should always work, hard to reach our goals and to buy something. Young Amelia Bedelia will do almost anything for a shiny new bicycle. Her parents say they'll split the cost with her, and that means Amelia Bedelia needs to put the pedal to the metal and earn some dough! With Amelia Bedelia anything can happen, and it usually does!
When Suzanne, the new girl in Amelia Bedelia's class, arrives at school riding the most beautiful bicycle in the whole world, Amelia Bedelia decides she wants a new bike, too. But Amelia Bedelia's mom says that a bike like Suzanne's is so expensive it will cost an arm and a leg! What? Amelia Bedelia doesn't want to give away one of her arms and one of her legs. She'll need both arms to steer her new bike, and both legs to pedal it. Amelia Bedelia decides to get a job, so that she can earn the bike money instead. She tries:

1. Helping out at Pete's Diner
2. Opening a lemonade stand
3. Entering a contest to win a prize
4. Baking treats and selling them

[Devanshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia adored her bike very much. Suzanne Scroggins was the new girl in Amelia Bedelia’s class. Amelia Bedelia saw Suzanne riding a new bike in the school. She parked her bike near Amelia Bedelia. The bike was emerald green in colour and streamlined in shape. Amelia Bedelia felt jealous of Suzanne’s bike and thought that her bike was a piece of junk as compared to Suzanne’s bike. She talked to her parents about it and they said that they will pay only half of the money and she had to pay the other half of the cost. How will Amelia Bedelia earn money? Will she get her bike?

Amelia Bedelia Means Business written by Herman Parish is a funny book. My favourite part was when Amelia Bedelia was trying to earn some money. The chapters, ‘Dream Bike Nightmares’ and ‘Amelia Bedelia’s Last Stand’, are the best for me.

Devanshi Agarwal/class 4

[Kanak Aggarwal]

Young Amelia Bedelia is happy with her own bike until she sees her classmate Kaite-Lynne cruise up on a sparkling new, green model. From that moment, Amelia's heart is set on a shiny new bike, but her parents say they will only \"meet her halfway\"; she must earn half of the money for the bike on her own. Hilarity ensues as the little girl -- age about 8 -- tries her hand at different jobs. As a helper in a diner, she lasts less than a day. She opens a lemonade stand with a sign declaring \"Lots of Lemons\" next to a car lot. But like the grown-up Amelia in the original early-reader books, young Amelia Bedelia bakes a mean lemon tart, and people can forgive a lot when lemon tarts are on the table.

[Daksh Aggarwal]

Young Amelia Bedelia is happy with her own bike until she sees her classmate Kaite-Lynne cruise up on a sparkling new, green model. From that moment, Amelia's heart is set on a shiny new bike, but her parents say they will only \"meet her halfway\"; she must earn half of the money for the bike on her own. Hilarity ensues as the little girl -- age about 8 -- tries her hand at different jobs. As a helper in a diner, she lasts less than a day. She opens a lemonade stand with a sign declaring \"Lots of Lemons\" next to a car lot. But like the grown-up Amelia in the original early-reader books, young Amelia Bedelia bakes a mean lemon tart, and people can forgive a lot when lemon tarts are on the table.

[Vasundhara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a young girl named Amelia Bedelia who after seeing a friends bicycle decides she wants a new one too. Her parents say they will pay half but she will have to pay for the rest. To earn the money she tries working as a waitress, running a lemonade stand and making tarts and selling them. She finally enters a contest in which the participants have to decorate their bicycles and whoever wins will get a new bicycle. Here she causes havoc at the parade but in the end, wins the prize. This is a well-written book with amazing characters. It’s a great read.

[Aadya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia Means Business by Herman Parish is a funny book. I like the book because Amelia Bedelia does not know the meaning of phrases (like me!) and gets into trouble because of it (unlike me). My favourite character is Amelia Bedelia because she is very confused like me. My favourite chapter was "Your fired!" because in that chapter, I liked Diana because she had a very cute dog named Buster. I liked Buster because he loves lemon tarts. After reading the book, I want to try lemon tarts, because I have never had them. I have learnt a lot of new phrases from the book.

[Dhrishita Trivedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I had never heard of the book before but it was awesome. It could relate a lot as I also am trying to earn for my dream and my parents have also told me to meet half way so I enjoyed it lot. The little girl is so beautifully portrayed as an innocent and hardworking girl. I would recommend it to everyone who believe that children can do many things that we underestimate them to do......😀

[Sthuti Srinivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amelia felt like a flat protagonist. As a middle teen, she is a bit whiny and stuck on. What stood out for me was Amelia's determination to get a bicycle. Would not continue the series but definitely would recommend it to any middle grader or primary schooler

[christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia's antics are sometimes funny, but her misunderstanding of idioms is super exhausting. I know that's her schtick, but ugh. Plus, these books haven't really stood the test of time.

[Erica Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another nightly read with my 4 year old daughter and we loved it!

[silene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny, quick read.

[Amayi Esterl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with my daughter. She wanted to give it 5 stars because it had acts of kindness and working hard themes. It was fun to talk about the literal and figurative meanings of the phrases Amelia didn't understand in the book. Great use of idioms just like the original picture books.