I love books that show kids how to have an inner dialogue with themselves in stressful situations.
The Amelia Six, by Kristin L. Gray, does just that.
First, the basics — This book is a wonderful “Who-Did-It?” with lots of plot twists. It’s fantastic for kids in grades 3-6 who enjoy piecing clues together to figure out a mystery. The main character, Millie, wins a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the night in the house where Amelia Earhart grew up. Millie is expecting an evening where she gets to play fun games and learn about one of her heroes. Those plans go out the window when a famous pair of Earhart’s goggles are lost. The adults blame the kids. The kids blame the adults. Everything is wrapped up perfectly at the end.
The plot is fun and there are some SERIOUS cliffhangers at the end of most chapters, but I feel like kids who are shy and anxious in new situations could benefit by reading this book. Millie, who is 10 years old, doesn’t have many friends. She gets anxious around new people and those feelings come out in full force when she arrives at Earhart’s house and meets five other girls her age who are also spending the night. Part of her wants to turn around and go home, but she reminds herself that she was one of six girls chosen to spend the night here. I love the way she reminds herself that she deserves to be there.
Millie keeps a Rubik’s Cube with her at all times. She works on solving it when she starts feeling anxious. Moving her hands eases her nerves. If you have students who feel like Millie, it should help them think about things they can do to calm their nerves in stressful situations. This could lead to some outstanding class discussions.
After the goggles are stolen, Millie bravely steps into a leadership role as the girls try to figure out where the goggles are. Near the end of the book, Millie “channels her inner boss” to help them escape a dangerous situation. She sees how her talent at observing and remembering small details is a massive help in this situation. Near the end, she feels proud of herself for how much she’s accomplished in just one night at this house. She also gives herself credit for making five new friends.
It’s so important for young kids to learn how to talk to themselves. The Amelia Six does an outstanding job of modeling how to do so. And who doesn’t love a good mystery!!??
I’ve created 12 quizzes and 12 writing prompts for this book. They are available for $4.95 in my TpT store.
Thank you for all that you do for your students!