Amelia Erroway

June 15, 2021
A rambunctious young girl does exactly what you'd expect with her father's airship. Twelve-year-old Amelia Erroway is not allowed out of her room while her father's ornithopter is in flight--but try telling her that. She might look the proper Victorian(ish) lady in her sashed dress, but she daringly climbs on the outside of the airship while it's aloft. Wide views of the craft provide a treat for any steampunk enthusiast; while the Intrepyd Ray is not at all convincingly airworthy, it cuts an elegant, avian figure in the classical fantasy landscape. Of course Amelia rushes to take it off by herself the moment she gets a chance in a bid to prove to her father that she is too ready to become a commander like him. It's no surprise that she crashes spectacularly, and in the Juniper, a dangerous rainforest, to boot. Luckily, she meets Rastor and Fynley, a pair of cute and equally rambunctious brothers with a kindly mom, who are only too happy to help her rebuild her ship and call her commander. With a science-minded trio to cheer for and several labeled diagrams to delight the meticulous, the story telegraphs its young nerds' success, though Amelia's final choice still comes as a surprise. The watercolor-style illustrations in intense jewel tones convey a sense of wonder. Amelia and her father are White; the brothers and their mom have brown skin and dark hair. Adventures galore. (author's note) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

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July 1, 2021
Grades 4-8 In this delightful steampunk adventure, Amelia Erroway, an aspiring pilot, is acting out, largely because her father never helped her move past the loss of her mother, who went missing on an expedition. Amelia's antics escalate when she steals an airship and crash-lands in a dangerous rain forest. There, she befriends two brothers who share Amelia's passion for science, and as the trio experiment with ways to fly Amelia back home, she learns how it feels to be part of a functional, loving family. Peterschmidt's vibrant, well-shaded watercolors splash across every page, adding a dreamlike quality to this plucky tale, especially the scenes with curlicue clouds or lime-green lighting. The adorable characters are drawn with distinct noses and ears, which adds to their youthful appearance, and the colorful flying contraptions manage to be both imaginative and realistic for a steampunk world. Readers will learn about flying, friendship, and forging your own path in this whimsical adventure led by three headstrong kids.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 26, 2021
Adapted from the author-illustrator’s webcomic, Peterschmidt’s debut graphic novel is charismatic and visually arresting, following blonde, light-skinned Amelia Erroway, 12, who, chafing at the limits imposed by her strict father, somewhat accidentally steals his state-of-the-art airship. Caught in a powerful storm, Amelia crashes deep in an unknown part of the vast Juniper rainforest, far from home. Taken in by brown-skinned twin brothers Rastor and Fynley Huxley and their mother Lyla, the only nearby human rainforest residents, Amelia enlists their aid in an ambitious plan to repair the damaged airship and return triumphantly home. Bande dessinée–inflected characters emote dramatically atop gorgeous watercolors that bleed across panels and pages in a vibrant, chaotic sprawl. From a lush, claustrophobic jungle to glimpses of a fanciful cityscape, the vivid physical setting is fully inhabited by a distinctly drawn cast of characters and creatures. The sentient draco-avian Ayvens are particularly fantastic, as are meticulously designed flying machines, based on real engineering principles and presented in interspersed schematic diagrams. Featuring spotlight-stealing worldbuilding, the story, like the art, is loose and occasionally messy; still, it’s filled with the characters’ contagious delight for science, flight, and adventure. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 8–12.