Amelia's Are-We-There-Yet Longest Ever Car Trip = 8 books, 92 to go

Children's
Amelia's Are-We-There-Yet Longest Ever Car Trip
Marissa Moss
40 pages

This fun preteen book is another find from Borders' discount section. The author/illustrator Marissa Moss has written a series of clever books designed to reflect a preteen's journal and share Amelia's experiences and challenges.

I can see why a preteen would love this book. The fun illustrations and witty notations give the reader a unique insight into Amelia's point of view and day-to-day experiences. This particular journal follows Amelia and her family on a cross-country driving vacation. It shares the trials and tribulations of sharing a backseat with her younger sister and miles and miles on the road with her parents.

Of course, a long road trip with one's family has the chance to not always go quite exactly the way a preteen would want. Here are a couple of amusing passages:

What we say next was so astounding I'm not sure I can write about it. The Mysterious Place was -- indescribable. At least, I can't describe it, but Mom's word for it was "cheesy" -- and she didn't mean cheddar.
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Mom says the dessert is peaceful because it's so big and open. And quiet. I've never heard such LOUD quiet as here. Of course, Cleo says it's driving her crazy, but I like it. I wish Cleo would just stay in the hotel and paint her toenails if she's going to whine. All she does is drink soda and burp anyway. How can I hear the quiet with all her burping?
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Cleo chanted "A million bottles of beer on the wall" on the entire hike back, but I just ran ahead so I wouldn't have to hear her. No way is she going to ruin Yosemite for me!

I hope a mountain lion eats her.

While it was a very quick read for me, I really enjoyed this book. I hope to stumble across another of Amelia's journals in the future.