Amelia Bedelia Means Business

Amelia Bedelia Means Business is the first book in the Young Amelia Bedelia series.

Money Is the Route

It starts with a flashback to when Amelia Bedelia was just a child, and how back then she unwittingly stepped on a cherry pie, made someone look very bad, led a parade astray and led a pack of dogs on a wild goose chase, all for money. It all started when she wanted a new bike.

T.H.E Bike

As a little kid, Amelia Bedelia had a bike which she loved very much. It had several chips and dents, which it had gotten at the same time as young Amelia had gotten a particular minor injury. At school, a new girl had arrived, Suzanne "Suzi" Scroggins, who was crabby and bossy. This day was the last day before the start of the vacation, and Suzanne was smiling as she had a new fancy bike. This bike took Young Amelia's breath away and it was green, with gears and spikes. Suzanne and Young Amelia talked about bikes, the latter getting confused with homophones. Young Amelia then went to class, feeling bad. She still felt bad that afternoon.

There but for the Grace ...

At dinner, Young Amelia prayed for a new bike. Mr.Bedelia asked if his daughter had seen any bikes that inspired her, and she told her parents about the bike. Mrs.Bedelia said that a bike like that must cost an arm an a leg, to which her daughter replied that you need all your limb to ride a bike, so it would be silly to pay for it with an arm and a leg. She ate some broccoli while asking for a bike as an early Christmas or birthday present, to which her parents replied she should save up for at least half of it. Young Amelia then asked if the front or back half cost more. Mr.Bedelia said that they did not sell bikes like that, and they will pay half the money and Young Amelia will pay the other half. He then taught Young Amelia how to shake hands and they hugged and ate dessert.

"You're Hired!"

The next day was Saturday and so after Amelia Bedelia's swimming lessons, they went to Pete's Diner for lunch. There, Young Amelia asked her parents what jobs they had before her dad became a telephone repairman and her mom became a baker. Mr.Bedelia said he did odd jobs, and Mrs.Bedelia was a waitress. Pete served them, declaring himself shorthanded, and confusing Young Amelia. Young Amelia squirted ketchup on Pete by mistake and then offered to help him. He then hired her, causing her to be very happy, and the waitress Doris put a uniform on her and said she would show Young Amelia the ropes. Doris then shows a framed picture of a rule with the words "THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT"

When Right Was Wrong

At the diner, Young Amelia had fun folding napkins, refilling bottles, fetching packets of sugar, and refilling salt and pepper shakers. Then, Suzanne Scroggins and three other girls from her class showed up, and Young Amelia was suddenly embarrassed by her uniform, so she ducked under the counter. Doris surprised her, then rewarded her with a strawberry milkshake. Then, a man named Mike came in. He wanted some dessert, and Doris had said that fast service was a piece of cake and easy as pie. Young Amelia had forgotten what Mike had ordered, pie or cake. She served him cake, but he wanted pie and asked for cherry pie, adding "Step on it!", so Young Amelia gave Mike some cherry pie and literally stepped on it, so Pete fired her.

"You're Fired!"

Amelia Bedelia walked through the park and decided to pick some favored daisies so her mother would not be mad. A policeman let her off with a warning, the warning being due to standing on the grass despite the Keep Off the Grass sign. This confused Young Amelia as the cop had been standing on the grass as well. She then ran off and sat on the park bench next to a sad-looking woman and her dog. The woman complemented the then-girl's flowers, and Young Amelia said that she would like to give them to the woman to cheer her up, but they were for her mother. The woman explained she was sad as her boss gave her a pink slip. Young Amelia made the woman, who introduced herself as Diana, laugh, by thinking she meant the underwear. Diana then introduced her dog Buster who could shake hands, and they told about how they both had been fired, and discussed what "fired" meant. Young Amelia then suggested Diana start her own business to be "fireproof". Then, a man showed up and bought Young Amelia's flowers for twenty dollars, for a date. Then, the policeman showed up and talked to the man. Young Amelia ran, noticing the sign said "SLOW CHILDREN", and she thought that was trouble as she was a fast child. At home, it is revealed Pete had called the parents, and then Young Amelia got discouraged, but the parents had an idea.

The Lemonade Sit

Mr.Bedelia suggested Young Amelia start a lemonade stand, although as he told her she would be sitting down, Young Amelia decided it was more like a sit. Mrs.Bedelia explained what a stand is. You made and sold lemonade. Young Amelia used all her money to buy on sale fifty bags of lemons. Her parents then decided she should name her business something catchy and advertise. Young Amelia asked if it was like Wild Bill's advertising and her dad said yes, only a lot less terrible. This gave her the idea to set up her lemonade "sit" there, as she was thirsty when she went there. Mrs. Bedelia then gave Young Amelia supplies for painting a sign shaped like a large lemon.

Amelia Bedelia's Last Stand

At lunchtime, Young Amelia set up her stand and named it Lots of Lemons as she used one lemon per cup, and Mr.Bedelia added chairs, making it even more like a sit than a stand. He then set it up so the sit would be on the news. The news crew then showed up. Pete, Doris and the policeman Officer O'Brien watched her news, hosted by Ted Daily. It looked like an earthquake as the cameraman was laughing. Wild Bill then came out, and got the wrong idea, thinking she was punning on the idea that his cars were lemons, and got angry.

If Life Hands You Lemons, Make ... Oh, Never Mind

Young Amelia was sad as she was now not permitted to sell lemonade for thirty days. Mr.Bedelia began to say the line about if life throws you lemons, but didn't. Mrs.Bedelia and Young Amelia then made lemon tarts, which were very tart. She then got on the bike and rode to Pete's Diner. On her way, she met Diana and several dogs. Diana had started a dog-walking business. Young Amelia gave a tart tart to Diana and one to each dog, who did a trick with it. Diana said that a tart-selling business should be called Tart Tarts. On her way to Pete's Young Amelia dropped a tart off at Wild Bill's with a note "I'm sorry about the sign. Here's one lemon I hope you'll like. Yours truly, Amelia Bedelia".

Cheaper by the 1/2 Dozen

At Pete's Diner, a lot of people whisper about Young Amelia, and she apologized to Pete, who gave her some free fries. She gave Pete and Doris a lemon tart each, and they gave her six brownies for a dime. They then said she should, for each day, give them twenty-four tarts for fifty cents a tart. She cycled home, but then crashed into Suzanne Scroggins. They cut themselves and the brownies got squished, but still tasted good. Amelia Bedelia's bike broke, so she took it to a repair shop called the Spokes People. There, she saw a bike she wanted like Suzanne's but red. The owner Marcus Smith announced a prize they have annually with a parade, the most unique parader wins a bike. The two then-girls then rode off.

Dream Bike Nightmares

At home, Young Amelia told her parents of the contest and the tarts. Mr.Bedelia suggested selling tarts in the contest by painting her bike like a giant lemon tart. Then, Young Amelia painted the sides of the front wheel like lemon slices and the sides of the back wheel like lemon tarts. She made a sign shaped like a bitten slice with the words "Try a bite". Then, she and Mrs.Bedelia make a paper mache lemon for her helmet, and Mr.Bedelia made a joke about "peddling" tarts.

To Try a Bite- OR NOT.

At the parade, Suzanne's bike had on it psychedelic ribbons and unicorn bunting. There were also a lot of animals, and Wild Bill was the judge. But in the middle of the parade, the dogs chased the bike with the tarts. Several people tried to help, including Suzanne, Chip and Joy. The dogs ate some tarts. Amelia Bedelia then threw a tart into a cowboy's hat and wondered if it was the Try a Bite sign that made the dogs chase her. Her bike then got busted up.

So Who Needs Fireworks?

Everything was unique, but chaotic. Then the mayor blew his whistle and it all went quiet. Wild Bill noted that Young Amelia was responsible but complemented her tart. The mayor then made a speech on how Young Amelia meant business, which causes the crowd, plus Holly, to cheer. Then he announced that Young Amelia had won.

The Bike Wheel of Fate Turns

The next day was the first day back at school and Young Amelia had gotten the red bike, but Suzanne was sad. Her bike had gotten run over, but cheered up when she and Young Amelia made friends.