Geez, Moss is the master of sticking a message in a book in a way that's palatable. Amelia is desperate for some Lightshade/Nightshade shoes, and her mom won't buy them. So Amelia's got to earn some money. I don't know how Moss sucks all the triteness out of a situation. Amelia knows that lots of times things don't live up to your expectations. She has some friends who tell her she needs the shoes to be cool, and other friends who are already wise enough to know it's not always good to do what everyone else is doing. Amelia's informed, determined, and ultimately, very wise. Awesome! ( )

Amelia draws on her artistic talent to earn money for something special that she really wants.