Our Only May Amelia
It's not easy being a
pioneer in 1899-- especially when you're not just the only girl in your
family; you are the only girl ever born to the entire
settlement. May Amelia Jackson has seven older brothers and she's no "Proper
Young Lady", everyone seems to want her to be one. She likes
adventures, wearing overalls and climbing trees, going fishing, and
proving that she can do anything her big brothers can do.
This title is great for supplementing Frontier units, as it is packed with small details about rural life along the Nasel River (where May Amelia's family lives) as well as details about life in a bustling frontier city (nearby Astoria) at the turn of the century.
May Amelia is a plucky little heroine, impossible not to like and readers will get drawn into her story from quite early on in the book. Publishers Weekly said that this Newbery Award winning book "is not to be missed." We agree!
Interest
Level: Grade 4+
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.5
Guided Reading Level: R
DRA Level: 40
Lexile Measure: 900L