The All New Amelia (by Marissa Moss)

Die-hard fans of Amelia may be disappointed that their heroine sells out in an attempt to impress a popular girl, and risks losing her friends in the process. But if the fans can get past Amelia's temporary slip-up, there's a valuable lesson to be learned between the notebook's lines. Like other Amelia books, this one deals with a common childhood issue: This time, it's an identity crisis. Lots of young girls will rejoice in having a protagonist they can relate to, and many parents will raise eyebrows at Amelia's frankness.

Bright, watercolor illustrations depicting scenes of elementary school drama and funny, related images serve as support for the main text, as well as entertaining and educational side notes. All this activity creates visually busy pages that kids will giggle their way through. It's hard to resist the charm of the familiar black-and-white composition notebook, complete with class schedule and information charts.