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Amelia Rules! #2
Amelia Rules! Volume 2: What Makes You Happy
In this volume, Amelia lives life, suffers loss and kisses a ninja. Always entertaining, this three-time Eisner and two-time Harvey nominee is guaranteed to keep you laughing and get your kids/nieces/nephews/etc. hooked on comics!
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
5 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
About the author
Jimmy Gownley
89 books106 followersJimmy Gownley is the author and illustrator of the Amelia Rules! series of graphic novels, as well as the memoir The Dumbest Idea Ever!.
He has been nominated for 13 Eisner awards and 6 Harvey awards. His book Superheroes won the 2006 Cybil Award for best graphic novel for kids 12 and under.
He lives in Pennsylvania.
He has been nominated for 13 Eisner awards and 6 Harvey awards. His book Superheroes won the 2006 Cybil Award for best graphic novel for kids 12 and under.
He lives in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
December 28, 2012
Life never seems to slow down for nine year old Amelia Louise McBride.
There's work to do at school and home. In her spare time, as Princess Powerful, she has to join her teammates in G.A.S.P. (Gathering of Awesome Super Pals) in their adventures. Then there's the trip to Manhattan with her friends to see her dad (her parents are divorced). And on top of all that, she has to come to terms with the fact that her rock-n-roller Aunt Tanner is a hottie!
Oh, and what's up with all those ninjas...?
Told with hip wit and charm, Amelia Rules!: What Makes You Happy is a book kids will love and adults will love to read with them.
Move over, Captain Underpants! Make way for Amelia Louise McBride, who steals the show with her hilarious fourth grade hijinks.
There's work to do at school and home. In her spare time, as Princess Powerful, she has to join her teammates in G.A.S.P. (Gathering of Awesome Super Pals) in their adventures. Then there's the trip to Manhattan with her friends to see her dad (her parents are divorced). And on top of all that, she has to come to terms with the fact that her rock-n-roller Aunt Tanner is a hottie!
Oh, and what's up with all those ninjas...?
Told with hip wit and charm, Amelia Rules!: What Makes You Happy is a book kids will love and adults will love to read with them.
Move over, Captain Underpants! Make way for Amelia Louise McBride, who steals the show with her hilarious fourth grade hijinks.
May 28, 2010
Amelia is a precocious young girl in a slightly wacky world. She’s in a club of kids who dress up like superheroes, and has a former rock star for an aunt. In this volume of her adventures, Amelia’s club encounters a competing group of kids who dress as ninjas. We also find out some of the history of her aunt. Amelia Rules is a charming series, perfect for kids who are out of the Babymouse stage, but not quite ready for The Plain Janes and other teen literature. The full-color illustrations are accessible and comfortable, and the pages are text-heavy. Essential for any elementary or middle school graphic novel collections.
July 3, 2017
I am really enjoying this graphic novel series. This is a great one to give to kids who want to read Smile or Sisters, but aren't able to quite reach that reading level/subject maturity level.
May 9, 2018
Segunda parte de las aventuras de esta niña, centradas al principio en su tía y después en las luchas de clubs de superhéroes. A mí me resultan muy simpáticas.
July 19, 2014
This is the second book in the Amelia Rules! series by Jimmy Gownley. We recently discovered this series and our girls just love it - they will argue over who gets to read the books first. They are really into reading graphic novels right now and we all love that it features a strong female main character who has other strong women in her life.
The book is broken up into five short stories that are consecutive in time and show how the friends' relationship develops and changes over time and introduces new characters. I loved the side stories and the numerous comic strips that pay homage to famous comic strips like Peanuts, Doonesbury, Dilbert, and others.
Overall, I love the complexities of the emotions and the tough subjects that are handled with both humor and sensitivity. We all really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of the books in this series.
interesting quote:
"I think a lot of the important things in life you only learn by screwing up." (p. 86)
"Y'know how people always say:: 'You can't go home again?'"
"Yeah...I guess."
"Well, that's only part of the truth. See, the thing most people forget is that in a lot of ways..maybe the most important ways...we can never really leave...even when we do." (p. 135)
The book is broken up into five short stories that are consecutive in time and show how the friends' relationship develops and changes over time and introduces new characters. I loved the side stories and the numerous comic strips that pay homage to famous comic strips like Peanuts, Doonesbury, Dilbert, and others.
Overall, I love the complexities of the emotions and the tough subjects that are handled with both humor and sensitivity. We all really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of the books in this series.
interesting quote:
"I think a lot of the important things in life you only learn by screwing up." (p. 86)
"Y'know how people always say:: 'You can't go home again?'"
"Yeah...I guess."
"Well, that's only part of the truth. See, the thing most people forget is that in a lot of ways..maybe the most important ways...we can never really leave...even when we do." (p. 135)
June 15, 2011
Amelia is awesome; love her Aunt Tanner and parents too. Her friends are goofy and fun to read about, less realistic than her but great for laughs. This one had even more references that I can't imagine many kids getting (Michael Stipe, Alanis Morrisette). I'm used to this approach in a Dreamworks film when parents are entertained simultaneously with their kids - it seems a little out of place in a book. Made me laugh nonetheless.
October 30, 2011
Amelia is the kind of girl you wish you knew. She talks directly to the reader and she tells them what's important in her world. She talks about her family and friends and school. Her stories are chocked full of humor, but also contain some serious undercurrents of some sad realities such as her parent's divorce, and her mother and aunt's loss of their aunt. These series is great for middle grades, boys and girls alike.
February 18, 2012
I love the way her Aunt Tanner quotes song lyrics to cheer her up or try to help her understand things. Tanner rocks.
June 4, 2021
Okay, so first off, I read this with my seven year old. He picked it out. It held his interest and it led to lots of meaningful conversations about divorce and friendship BUT, and this is a big BUT, I think he was too young and innocent for this book. The book says 7+ and he's seven but we don't allow calling people names in our house, or violence and this book has kids fighting and calling each other names constantly. Immediately after starting reading this he called his dad a jerk for the first time. We talked to him about how we don't do that in our house and why, but man, this book. Now I have to worry about him going to school and trying out those names he's learned on the kids there when he's angry. I understand the world is going to bombard him with nasty or mean interactions, but I fall into the camp of, Why Introduce That Early If You Don't Have To. I don't regret reading this book but I will steer clear of any of the rest in the series until he's older. If your kid has already been exposed to physical violence amongst kids and calling each other mean names then I don't think it's a big deal. We've been lucky. Our son goes to a very cool laid back private school that emphasizes emotional wellbeing along with academics and they promote emotional intelligence and handling matters in a peaceful way above angry confrontation that reigns on some playgrounds. One of their main tenets is respect for others. We're incredibly lucky and sometimes I just get a shock when we get a book that shows kids "being kids" in a way that our son hasn't had to deal with yet.
February 3, 2019
This time Amelia goes to a funeral and her gang of super heroes take on the ninjas. It often confronts her loss of having her parents together. On page 136 there is a dream like picture of her family the way it used to be, but she realizes "the past is always with you and there is no place like home even if you have 2"
October 26, 2017
More wonderful tales from the world of nine-year-old Amelia McBride.
March 20, 2019
It was a good book and I would recommend it to Upper Elementary students but it didn't really pull me in.
March 27, 2019
It was a really good book and very relatable I think that if you come across this book to read it you may like it.
January 6, 2021
I love Amelia.
February 11, 2022
Meh, 2.5 stars. It's not terrible, just flat and kinda dull to me. Definitely NOT the new Peanuts
July 26, 2022
I really took these lessons to heart as a kid I think
October 10, 2023
my face is so swollen help
March 5, 2020
Amelia Rules/ What makes you happy
Genre: Picture Book -Graphic Novel
Awards: No awards listed
Audience: 4th - 8th
Amelia Rules/ What makes you happy is a graphic novel because it has multiple images that are separated into panels. The illustrations and text in the panel tell a story about a girl named Amelia. The story is portrayed through pictures and dialogue.
This graphic novel uses the visual element of color. The illustrator did a good job of having color contrast. The dark colors represent night while the brighter colors represent day. Color is essential to this novel because it sets the setting of the book. The color element contributes to the mood of the story.
As a teacher I would recommend this book to a student with a big imagination. I could assign this novel to a student to do a book report on because it is for upper level elementary where students have the ability to write about what they read.
Genre: Picture Book -Graphic Novel
Awards: No awards listed
Audience: 4th - 8th
Amelia Rules/ What makes you happy is a graphic novel because it has multiple images that are separated into panels. The illustrations and text in the panel tell a story about a girl named Amelia. The story is portrayed through pictures and dialogue.
This graphic novel uses the visual element of color. The illustrator did a good job of having color contrast. The dark colors represent night while the brighter colors represent day. Color is essential to this novel because it sets the setting of the book. The color element contributes to the mood of the story.
As a teacher I would recommend this book to a student with a big imagination. I could assign this novel to a student to do a book report on because it is for upper level elementary where students have the ability to write about what they read.
January 7, 2018
Just another enjoyable graphic series. I love the characters and the way the artist does flashbacks from Amelia's younger days.
August 3, 2016
*First read when I was a kid*
This is mentioned in the introduction to this volume, but I love how this series breaks the traditional narrative techniques of comics. Multiple ideas or things that are being said at the same time are interwoven together for one bigger meaning (like in the first scene), or the characters will pull out and break the fourth wall with their own invented definitions (breaking out the graph paper and the figures).
The series is always so tongue-in-cheek, which I love - everything has some heart to it, but never without a layer of sarcasm and wit. This also comes up in the homages to other comics (Peanuts, Doonesbury, Dilbert) - there are lots of punchlines, and lots to be said in the parodies, but there's a lot of emotional stuff, too.
My favorite part is probably the optimism that comes out of the story - even when there's sadness, there's a light on the other side. The stories often blend the past and the present (which never ends perfectly), and they recognize progress and change in the characters. Like with , the characters move towards what they need, not always necessarily what they or others want. That's a really respectable theme for kids, and one that I think has really stuck with me.
Misc. comments on individual stories:
Part 1 (Unnamed Valentine’s Day scene) - This scene is so sweet and it really sums up the series as a whole well.
What Makes You Happy - I love how this goes more into Tanner's backstory. She's one of my favorite characters, and the series does such a good job of developing each character into a person with their own motivations.
Life During Wartime - The introduction of the ninjas and the expansion of GASP are such great parts of this arc. The original group is iconic together, but the stories start to explore more uncharted territory when they introduce more characters.
"We couldn’t defeat a spunky chipmunk with just Owen!" still cracks me up.
Her Three Kisses - This is such an important story for Amelia, and I love the way she interacts with the people around her in this one. She has to deal with more new experiences that she isn't prepared for (death, love, etc.), and it's great to see her becoming a more mature person because of it.
I really relate to the ending - even as a technical adult, I'm still terrified of growing up, but Amelia's "But between you and me... I'm really looking forward to it." means so much to me. It's optimistic, and hopeful, and really encompasses what the series is about.
Also, "She hardly looks dead!" is so funny.
Joy and Wonder - This one goes more into Amelia's backstory, back when her parents were together. She's been through so much at such a young age, and seeing her even younger looking towards her future really connected with me.
It's also interesting to see Amelia's aunt and dad interact - these are the things we don't see when the story stays in Pennsylvania. Here we get more backstory, and from characters who aren't heard from as often.
"In a lot of ways, we can never really leave, even when we do." and "The past is always with you, and there is no place like home." are so important to the themes of the series. This story does a great job of expressing both of those and relating to the characters.
For the Heroes and Villains - Amelia and Kyle are so cute together, and I love their relationship.
I really appreciate how the ninjas and GASP decided to just be archenemies - it breaks the archetypes and that fourth wall that's been standing for the "standards" of superheroes and villains.
I love that Amelia and Rhonda become better friends at the end. They fit well together, and it's always nice to see great female friendships flourishing (rather than pitting them against each other).
Still excited to continue the series, even more excited for the next one (as I remember, one of my favorites and when the series starts getting really good).
This is mentioned in the introduction to this volume, but I love how this series breaks the traditional narrative techniques of comics. Multiple ideas or things that are being said at the same time are interwoven together for one bigger meaning (like in the first scene), or the characters will pull out and break the fourth wall with their own invented definitions (breaking out the graph paper and the figures).
The series is always so tongue-in-cheek, which I love - everything has some heart to it, but never without a layer of sarcasm and wit. This also comes up in the homages to other comics (Peanuts, Doonesbury, Dilbert) - there are lots of punchlines, and lots to be said in the parodies, but there's a lot of emotional stuff, too.
My favorite part is probably the optimism that comes out of the story - even when there's sadness, there's a light on the other side. The stories often blend the past and the present (which never ends perfectly), and they recognize progress and change in the characters. Like with , the characters move towards what they need, not always necessarily what they or others want. That's a really respectable theme for kids, and one that I think has really stuck with me.
Misc. comments on individual stories:
Part 1 (Unnamed Valentine’s Day scene) - This scene is so sweet and it really sums up the series as a whole well.
What Makes You Happy - I love how this goes more into Tanner's backstory. She's one of my favorite characters, and the series does such a good job of developing each character into a person with their own motivations.
Life During Wartime - The introduction of the ninjas and the expansion of GASP are such great parts of this arc. The original group is iconic together, but the stories start to explore more uncharted territory when they introduce more characters.
"We couldn’t defeat a spunky chipmunk with just Owen!" still cracks me up.
Her Three Kisses - This is such an important story for Amelia, and I love the way she interacts with the people around her in this one. She has to deal with more new experiences that she isn't prepared for (death, love, etc.), and it's great to see her becoming a more mature person because of it.
I really relate to the ending - even as a technical adult, I'm still terrified of growing up, but Amelia's "But between you and me... I'm really looking forward to it." means so much to me. It's optimistic, and hopeful, and really encompasses what the series is about.
Also, "She hardly looks dead!" is so funny.
Joy and Wonder - This one goes more into Amelia's backstory, back when her parents were together. She's been through so much at such a young age, and seeing her even younger looking towards her future really connected with me.
It's also interesting to see Amelia's aunt and dad interact - these are the things we don't see when the story stays in Pennsylvania. Here we get more backstory, and from characters who aren't heard from as often.
"In a lot of ways, we can never really leave, even when we do." and "The past is always with you, and there is no place like home." are so important to the themes of the series. This story does a great job of expressing both of those and relating to the characters.
For the Heroes and Villains - Amelia and Kyle are so cute together, and I love their relationship.
I really appreciate how the ninjas and GASP decided to just be archenemies - it breaks the archetypes and that fourth wall that's been standing for the "standards" of superheroes and villains.
I love that Amelia and Rhonda become better friends at the end. They fit well together, and it's always nice to see great female friendships flourishing (rather than pitting them against each other).
Still excited to continue the series, even more excited for the next one (as I remember, one of my favorites and when the series starts getting really good).
Read
February 14, 2017superheros.
January 27, 2016
I wholeheartedly love this series. Amelia, for me, was part of my growing up (explained in the review for the first volume in this series) and rereading her stories now makes me just as happy as when I was a kiddo. The best part about this graphic novel is the fact that everyone acts...normal. I mean, no one is ever really normal, but isn't that how real life is? I loved the story about Amelia's return trip to NYC to visit her dad and old neighborhood- that hit me right in all of the feelings and had me missing my own East Coast adventures. Also, there are so many little jokes and drawings for adults throughout the story, so it's really an all-ages sort of book.
Honestly, when it comes down to it, Amelia Rules! is what makes me happy.
Honestly, when it comes down to it, Amelia Rules! is what makes me happy.
September 28, 2014
This was a very wacky story of an interesting young girl and the people she meets along the way. The style is comic(graphic novel) type and it grasps your attention not only through the colorful views and natural comic book flow but because of the narration being told through the main characters telling the story to the reader. I appreciate this unique approach and how it really personalizes the story which seems to be an important aspect of books geared towards young girls. The cover is hardcover, the pages are very slick with a nice finish a trait most graphic novels seem to posses. I would most defiantly recommend this book to young girls and the series it is involved in.
January 11, 2013
I am currently reading Amelia rules what makes you happy. I like this book because it was full of laughter and details. I like graphic novels that are funny, full of details and have weird characters. This book has funny words, descriptive characters and the characters think they have super powers. They are fighting a group of ninja in the park. I think this book is interesting and a little weird. If you like to read funny graphic novels then this would be your book to read. I give this book a four stars!!
February 18, 2013
I started reading these when I was 13 and I still love them. They remind me of being a little kid again and are funny while have serious messages. Amelia is a great character: she's precocious and really a bit of a smart-Alec, but understanding and sensitive. Tanner is like a rockstar Yoda in a belly-showing shirt. Amelia's friends are unique and funny in every way. Her parents are kind and nurturing, without being totally perfect. These books charming and heartwarming, with beautiful artwork. It's so sad that this series has ended.
RIP Amelia Rules
Read these! Seriously they're great! :)
RIP Amelia Rules
Read these! Seriously they're great! :)
February 16, 2009
Ok I seem to be reading these backwards. I read Superheros first and loved it! Ameila is a wonderful character she seems so real to me but has such a funny group of friends. In this one you really get to know her Aunt Tanner who used to be superfamous and you get to see the start of the superhero and evil ninjas debate. I think this series could be powerful for a girl who is going through a parents divorce. Grades 2+
Read
August 13, 2013This second volume of Amelia stories is as delightful as the first. Amelia is a spunky, emotional, passionate 4th-grader; she is a modern-day "Lucy" from the Peanuts. Jimmy Gownley writes, draws, and inks the stories. The artwork is beautiful, the dialogue full of great humor and pathos, the stories engaging. But what appeals most to the kids, I think, is the characters themselves. Amelia is out-and-out fascinating--a perfect combination of pre-teen girl and tomboy.
July 3, 2014
I thought that this book wouldn't appeal to to me, being a young adult and all, but I actually enjoyed this. I haven't read the first edition in the Amelia Rules! series, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. About the read the 3rd edition and see if it's better than this edition!! I highly recommend this for children and, well, every age! I'm 19 and I enjoyed each of the 6 different stories within the book. I love Amelia as the main protagonist in this story
March 22, 2010
These books are helping transition my daughter to self reading instead of being read to. The stories are a bit more complex than in chapter books, and the illustrations help her apply inflection to her reading also.
Amelia is a many faceted character and a relatable child. I would recommend this for girls aged 7-11.
Amelia is a many faceted character and a relatable child. I would recommend this for girls aged 7-11.
December 15, 2010
I liked this one more than the first one. I think the issues I had with the first one was the establishing of the characters - now that we know the characters better, the stories are allowed to let loose a lot more. It's a fun experience.
Plus, two R.E.M. references? In a kiddie graphic novel? Yes, please.
Plus, two R.E.M. references? In a kiddie graphic novel? Yes, please.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews