Amelia's Guide to Gossip: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Amelia's Notebook)

Gr 4-8 Amelia analyzes the various types of gossip: true, untrue, juicy, stale, hot off the rumor mill, or old stuff that everyone has already heard. She also illustrates how it is spread through school from a source to the kids who exist on the fringes in what she calls the Gossip Ripple Effect. In the end, Amelia admits that gossip is like a fire that you can't help but stare at, but if you get too close, you can get burned. She likes to hear and spread juicy tidbits, but balks at false statements being circulated about her. This book is neither creative nor funny. The majority of it focuses on information about gossiping with only an incidental story about Amelia, and the absence of a plot makes it a rather lackluster offering. - Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.