Amelia's Guide to Gossip: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Book

Did you hear the rumor making the rounds?

A Note from the Author Amelia!

"Everything you always wanted to know about gossip — it's the hottest rumor around!"

— Me, Amelia

...the one about Amelia and her guide?

Notes from Amelia Fans:

"I like how you get a lot of details in the book — Good details make for good gossip!

— Shana

"My favorite part was when Cleo pukes in teh car and Amelia says ' I'm trying to get some air here!' that was so funny." — And you can pass this rumor on — it's all true!

—Madeline

Children's Literature

The best gossip needs to be both juicy and satisfying—the thrill of super secretive stuff. So claims Amelia, the shallow, one-dimensional, sixth grade narrator, whose lofty ambition is to write for a gossip rag. Even though her best friend explains that gossip, by definition, is something that always hurts the person being talked about, Amelia tackles the subject matter from every direction possible, from scales measuring the levels of lies, to a "Rate the Gossip" scale; from "Match the Teacher to the Gossip," to a gossip probability test. After devoting endless pages to the delights and nuances of gossip, Amelia then suggests ways to combat it, including spread your own rumors. The biggest problem with this book is its inherent triviality. What makes it worse, though, is its mean-spiritedness, making fun of personal hygiene, bed-wetting, and nerds. The uncredited illustrations are as amateurish as they are tasteless, the most offensive being an overflowing toilet. Then again, perhaps that one is meant as a visual metaphor for the entire book itself.