Amelia Bedelia Sets Sail (Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book #7), written by Herman Parish and Lynne Avril, reviewed by Debra Gantz

Summary:  Amelia Bedelia and her parents are heading for a vacation with her Aunt Mary and cousin Jason. They are looking forward to new adventures on beaches and in the water. The week will culminate with a Beach Bash that includes a clam bake and a parade. Jason and Amelia are excited to hang out together while Jason shows Amelia around his town. The week includes sand castles, fishing, sailing, surfing, and a bit of a mystery, as well. This is a friendship story with some language play included. The author includes a recipe and explanations of some of the idioms use in this early chapter book.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  I do enjoy language play and will use the title to discuss idioms before a project, but I would recommend the book for libraries short on simple tame chapter books. My students do not have the background of knowing the original Amelia Bedelia books and this series seems to appeal more to the parents as they have that connection. I do have a handful of students in each school that read this series each year.