Oh, May Amelia, you are my favorite. Actually, Jennifer Holm, you are my favorite, and May Amelia is my favorite of your creations. This book is practically perfect. The only thing I can complain about is the AWFUL COVER. Just wrong. Why can't a wonderful author like Holm get a great cover for an awesome book? The world is an unfair place.

Speaking of the world being an unfair place, I've noticed people complaining that too much bad stuff happens to the Jacksons in this book. I think I've made that claim myself about a few good books (like [b:Out of My Mind|6609765|Out of My Mind|Sharon M. Draper|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275674397s/6609765.jpg|6803732] and [b:Mockingbird|2657|To Kill a Mockingbird|Harper Lee|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fJnjap8BL._SL75_.jpg|3275794]). But the thing about this book is that it's so funny and so heartwarming, even while terrible things are happening--which, I think, is how life is.

I listened to the first May Amelia book on CD, so I didn't know that it was written with Lots of Capitalized Phrases and no quotation marks. I wonder if that is baffling for some kids, or if they just go with it. I don't really understand why Holm wrote it that way. I don't think it added anything special, but it didn't really bother me either. I'm neutral on it. ( )

3.5 stars. Aimed at the older elementary set, this book had some pretty intense subject matter. I'm just not sure a younger reader would be motivated to stick through all is the sadness and difficulties. I did enjoy the storytelling and the fact that the novel was based on some actual events the author's ancestors endured. ( )

Children's fiction; historical fiction (1900) with strong heroine. (side note: cover art is gross misrepresentation; May Amelia is only 12 years old and actually has very little to do with chickens, though her family does own some). If Caddie Woodlawn had grown up with 7 brothers and had a cousin refugee from Finland whose mom was robbed/murdered in front of his eyes... and whose family loses the farm (or very nearly) due to a scam, etc., etc. Not a bad story but nothing stand-out either, and kind of packed with big splashy events for a small rural town in 1900s Washington. Best part was learning the Finnish word for rice pudding, "riisipuuro." ( )

I enjoy family stories. Ms. Holm has taken her stories from ancestral diaries. Very good. A Unique and pleasant voice. ( )

May Amelia Jackson is a daughter of the Jackson's family. 7 brothers are not easy and especially if you have a sister who recently just passed away. Today I will be talking about how May brought her family to a good fortune!

May Amelia Jackson have's a unique family. She has 7 brothers. Matti who ran away, Kaarlo, Isaiah, Wendell, Alvin, Ivan, and Wilbert who is Amelia's favorite brother. May haves a father who thinks women is no good and thinks May is worthless. May's family speaks Finn so she goes to school to learn English.

May loves her new favorite teacher, Ms. McEwing. Everyone in May's class loves her. Every single time a man comes by to talk to miss McEwing they always get the man away from miss McEwing. Women in those days if you were married you were not allowed to work. So they always try to get her avoiding those men. May's family is not really rich so its hard with getting food and new clothes. The clothes that May haves are passed down from relatives. One day a man named Mr. Yerrington had spoken to May. He told him if May's father signs some certain paperwork May's father could get rich. May told her father as soon as possible and her father thought may be useful for once. May never been so happy and was so excited for the next day. Mr.Yerrington had come over to May's house and he spoke English so May had to translate for her dad. He didn't really trust her but he didn't really have anyone else just as good as her. Mr. Yerrington and May's father had spoken to each other with May's help, May's father got these certificates and a hundred dollars. Mr.Yerrington said that he would come back and give all the money to May's father as soon as possible.
Little did they know Mr. Yerrington tricked them. May's family they were going to rich so they started buying things and borrowing things from banks. May got new shoes and her brothers bought their own things. May's family had family coming over and surprisingly, Matti came to visit with his new wife. May's father was not happy until he told him was going to be in a business. Days later, May went back to school. There was May's neighbor, Mr. Clayton was talking to Miss McEwing. A week later they were engaged and they no longer had Miss McEwing as their teacher. May had never been this upset ever since. That's when things started getting worse. The barn on fire, finding May's kitten who she thought was dead, and they found out Mr. Yerrington was a scam and stole their money. The family started losing things and sadly, they lost everything in their house. May's brother had to work so they can earn money and even her mom had too do some extra chores. May's father hated her he blamed her for " lying " and thought she was just " translating wrong." Poor May she always thought it was her fault and everything. May's family had another gathering during Christmas time to spread the new's. May was told to pick up some sticks outside for fire and while she was doing what she was told, she had an idea of a wood business. May's family agree with the idea and they knew they were going to have an exciting new year.


This book was okay. To be honest there will be some times where I am constantly bored with. I wouldn't mention or talk about this book to any of my friends but I would tell my sister about it. There are many better books out there and I wouldn't read this again anytime soon. And the person who made the cover clearly had no idea what the story is even about. The story was okay. ( )