Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Amelia Erroway: Castaway Commander by Betsy Peterschmidt - HIGH

 Amelia Erroway: Castaway Commander by Betsy Peterschmidt, 288 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Graphix (Scholastic). 2021. $15

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Amelia is nearly 13yo and she yearns to fly her father’s airship. Amelia’s father doesn’t allow her to so she shows him by taking off herself in his prized craft, the Intrepyd Ray. A storm hits and she is forced down in uncharted lands deep in the rain forest where she meets two brothers who may be able to help her fix her ship and fly it home. 

The art has a beautiful watercolor feel to it. Amelia is a plucky girl and her father is painted as overprotective, especially after Amelia’s mother disappears, but really, how many dads are going to turn an airship over to a preteen? Amelia doesn’t seem to miss her father much, and seems more than ready to break ties with him. The boys’ mother becomes more like family to her than her father, mostly because their mom lets her do whatever she wants. The adult in me wonders that a 13yo should be given carte blanche. I’m sure kids will read it differently and find Amelia’s journey a grand adventure. 

 Michelle in the Middle 

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