[.ca] Amalee (ISBN 0439395631)

highly recommended for dar fans, kids, pretty much everyone:
I thought Amalee was great. The story and characters were engaging, and the writing and imagery were certainly on a par with Dar's usual level of excellence. It reminded me quite a bit of Nora Raleigh Baskin's books, which are also set in Ulster County, NY (definitely check these out if you enjoyed Amalee). Dar has an exceedingly rare gift: the ability to tell beautiful, interesting stories via both song and novel.

Finding the future that redeems:
In Dar's own words, it is only when adults stop growing that they can't reach young people. She shouldn't worry, because this book is full of lessons and insights for everyone, regardless of age. Amalee is funny and clever and touchingly true on so many levels. At fifteen, I have grown up listening to Dar's music and I have always found out that one of her songs says exactly the right thing when I need it. Amalee is no different; it served as a welcome reminder of what my priorities should be. The protagonist so resembles me not very long ago at all, I was almost unnerved. Dar may be a sixth-grade girl at heart, or just remarkably good at understanding how people think and act. Dar is just as talented a novelist as a singer/songwriter, and I look forward to future books from her.

Excellent:
I received this book today as a gift, and I read it all in one sitting. I loved it. I related to Amalee, even though the details of her life as an eleven-year-old are quite different than the details of mine were, because her character is very authentic. The level at which she examines her life, the way she struggles between what she thinks and what she can manage to say, is intelligent, yet authentically preteen. As the novel progresses, the other characters grow beyond caricatures in the same way that I think an eleven-year-old begins to see adults (and herself) as layered people. Best of all, the book just made me feel good without attacking me with a bunch of lame, blatant emotional missiles. And it achieves what I think is the responsibility young adult literature has over other types of literature: it teaches a lesson, offers the reader something to take with him or her about growing up, in a very genuine way.

Amalee:
I've been a Dar fan for ages, starting when I confiscasted one of her CD's and listened to it in my room. I have now claimed every Dar CD as mine and have bought many of my own (see, I'm not a theif, I got many honestly!). Her way with words has never failed to amaze me, and this book is no exception. I only just got this book, but I felt that i couldn't keep quiet: everyone should know how great this book is!! When Amalee's father falls ill, she seeks help from an unexped source. i instantly began relating to the characters. Dar's frank, honest writing made me really understand how A. fells at all times. however, i feel that I must take one star off for the fact that there are huge, ugly daisies all over the page. Also, the orange and yellow clash, and the picture on the back is almost frightening. But despite this, the writing is PERFECTLY frank . I love it, and preteen girls will too. Dar, if you're reading this, thanks for being such a terriffic role modle. You are absolutely amazing and inspiring!

A Hug for "Amalee":
In her fiction debut, Dar Williams introduces us to Amalee, an only child whose work is turned upside down when her single father becomes ill. Though she is an only child, Amalee is surrounded by adults - her father's best pals. The adults have been close since their days in college. None of them have children with the exception of Amalee's dad, so she alternates between feeling like one of the group or feeling too young around all of them. One woman is a therapist, full of advice for Amalee; another woman is a chatterbox. One is an aspiring artist; another is an aspiring chef, always cheery, who has Amalee assist him with a late-night cooking fest. Amalee thinks about others frankly - a la Alice in the Phyllis Reynolds Naylor series - but often bites her tongue, keeping secrets to herself. She does not want her classmates and teachers to know her father is sick; she does not want her father and his friends to know that she herself has no friends at school. Ultimately, Amalee finds herself thankful for the extended family she has in her father's friends - and finds some new friends of her own. Readers can relate to (and discuss) Amalee's fear of loss and her fear of being a bully-by-association. This is a heartwarming book, not too sappy, not too cliché. It is a clean, quick read, good for young readers and their families.