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May B. Paperback – January 7, 2014

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 221 ratings

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"If May is a brave, stubborn fighter, the short, free-verse lines are one-two punches in this Laura Ingalls Wilder-inspired ode to the human spirit." — Kirkus Reviews, Starred

I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return. 
Something's happened.


May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

2013 ALA Notable Children's Book

2013 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year

Amazon's Best Book of the Month for Kids: January 2012 selection

Junior Library Guild selection

Publisher's Weekly Spring 2012 Flying Start

About the Author

CAROLINE STARR ROSE spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books by Laura Ingalls, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She graduated from the University of New Mexico and went on to teach both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom, she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, the freedom to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past. Visit her at carolinestarrrose.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yearling; Reprint edition (January 7, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385374143
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385374149
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 13 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 680L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.21 x 0.54 x 7.56 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 221 ratings

About the author

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Caroline Starr Rose
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Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She’s taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, an enthusiasm to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.

Caroline lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
221 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and well-written. They appreciate the simple yet profound writing style that is easy for children to understand. The main character is fully developed and portrayed beautifully. Overall, customers find the book an enjoyable and quick read suitable for both boys and girls.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

24 customers mention "Story quality"24 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it captivating and an enjoyable read. Many say it's a wonderful learning story for young people. The story holds their interest until the end, making it a quick, easy read.

"...So having these short, powerful snippets are an amazing way to tell the story of a dyslexic girl while simultaneously not alienating the dyslexic..." Read more

"...and weaving something completely, utterly, and stunningly fresh and rich...." Read more

"Books like this one are educating me in the joys of free verse, and I'm learning to love it...." Read more

"...This is a particularly moving part of the book, as we watch May rise above her own fears and the ridicule of a particularly nasty teacher...." Read more

16 customers mention "Writing quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book to be good. They appreciate the well-written prose, which is readable and easy to understand. The lines are isolated on the page, making it beautiful to read aloud. Readers praise the sparse language and vivid visuals, making it a quick read that connects well with Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.

"...while May isn't actually stated as being dyslexic, her struggles with reading are so spot on, you can't deny her obvious dyslexia. I loved this...." Read more

"...A well written and fascinating look at the taming of the prairie." Read more

"...there's much they can take away much from this masterful and beautifully written tale." Read more

"...And, unlike many books in verse, Caroline's writing isn't so abstract that it's difficult to follow...." Read more

9 customers mention "Readability"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging for kids. They say it's a quick read and good for kids who struggle with reading. Readers also mention it's a great novel to read along with children or share in a classroom.

"...It also makes the book incredible accessible for students who struggle with reading. Do they look at a page full of text the same way May describes?..." Read more

"...This is a must-read for any child who loves historical fiction and/or novels in verse." Read more

"I in enjoyed this book because it was adventurous and a good book for 4th graders. It is a good book but at the end I didn't really get it...." Read more

"...It is a quick read and will be easy for kids that struggle with reading." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the main character well-developed and the portrayal of a girl struggling to embrace her identity engaging.

"...eloquent, and perfectly-pitched verse as well as the precisely defined characters...." Read more

"...sometimes terrible beauty of the Kansas prairies but also beautifully portrays a girl struggling to embrace who she is...." Read more

"...The emotion palatable. The main character fully developed. I very much enjoyed MAY B. Will recommend highly to others--including reluctant readers." Read more

3 customers mention "Ease of use"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to use. It's simple yet profound, written in verse.

"...It is simple enough for super low-skilled students, but it is also appropriate for older students as a supplement to history or a quick connection..." Read more

"...Both are simple and yet profound. Sometimes few words or no words at all are enough to be effective. This book is just that...." Read more

"I like the fact it's simple to use and doesn't require a software package. The picture quality surpasses my expectations. Highly recommend." Read more

The poetry is beautiful and I love how the author writes lines that ...
5 out of 5 stars
The poetry is beautiful and I love how the author writes lines that ...
This book must be read aloud for the full effect to come about. I would read this book to my husband in the evening after our kids were in bed and we both got so enthralled with the main character. The poetry is beautiful and I love how the author writes lines that are isolated on the page. It adds to the drama of the story.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2013
    Our children very often don't have an understanding of the kinds of lives people their age lived 100 or more years ago. In Caroline Starr Rose's beautiful little book, May B., we see a young girl who sounds very much like my own students today in 2013. But May's life is very, very different in many ways, and I can't help but think how special it would be for our students to read this book.

    May's parents tell her she is going to have to travel 15 miles to live with another homesteader and his new wife. They need help around the homestead, and he is willing to pay May's parents to have her stay with them and help for the next few months. May knows it isn't permanent, but she also isn't ready to move away from her parents for so long with no way to be in contact with them. 15 miles across rough land in a horse and buggy is nothing to take lightly. To make matters worse, May is going to have to stop going to school when she moves in with them. School is hard enough for May, but with such a long time away from it, she knows she is never going to move out of the little kid side of the schoolhouse. It is embarrassing enough to have to sit with the little kids at her age because she can't read. After months away, she knows it will be worse and she will suffer the wrath of her teacher even more than she does now.

    At the homestead, it is clear the homesteader's wife doesn't want to be there. She doesn't intend to do any chores herself, but it seems like May's very presence bothers her. When she picks up and leaves, her new husband chases after her, leaving May behind in the homestead. May assumes they will be back, but days and days pass and no one returns. Left to tend to the home herself with no new food, she has enough to survive a while, but not until her father comes for her at Christmas. Just a child, May B. does the bravest thing she could do. She survives.

    May B. is my newest love. This book is told in short free verse that is very readable and easy to understand. It also makes the book incredible accessible for students who struggle with reading. Do they look at a page full of text the same way May describes? You bet they do! So having these short, powerful snippets are an amazing way to tell the story of a dyslexic girl while simultaneously not alienating the dyslexic young adults who the story would mean the most to. Pure brilliance. And while May isn't actually stated as being dyslexic, her struggles with reading are so spot on, you can't deny her obvious dyslexia. I loved this. Our students are lucky enough to live in a modern world where dyslexia is known and can receive remediation. What if they lived 150 years ago and you were just considered unintelligent if you couldn't read? This book really gives them a moment of perspective, and I really believe that is invaluable.

    In addition, May is a young dyslexic girl who is SO brave she is able to take care of herself and survive through enormous winter storms all by herself. We so often now see kids who passively let everyone do things for them- teachers, parents, etc., but they never learn to handle difficult situations themselves. In fact, the Washington Post did an interesting article on these "Snow Plow" parents. So to watch May survive and figure things out herself was truly inspiring. I love this little story, and I think it would be great for any kid to read. It is simple enough for super low-skilled students, but it is also appropriate for older students as a supplement to history or a quick connection to the times. I think parents and teachers will enjoy this quick little story too. It was just so wonderful in ever possible way!
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2022
    Too rarely a book moves me to tears, not because it is poignant or moving or lyrical, but because it simply exists.

    "May B." is just that type of storytelling that I desperately long for and yet so rarely find. This book is not a Ingalls-Wilder-like homage to the American Midwest settler culture. It is not a Jack-London-like survival story. It is not an E. B. White-like exquisite dance in the joy of language. It stands in a class all its own by taking the threads of tradition of classic American young adult literature and weaving something completely, utterly, and stunningly fresh and rich.

    As a personal aside, waking up one morning to discover our house buried in snow was one of my most vivid childhood memories as a young girl growing up in western Kansas. So May's experience in tunneling her way out of her sod house prison was particularly interesting to me. Rose gets the feeling of suddenly seeing the sky after tunneling out just right.

    An incredible book that I will add to my collection of favorite young adult historical fiction stories to study carefully and dream of emulating.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
    Books like this one are educating me in the joys of free verse, and I'm learning to love it. May B. is a young girl in 1860s Kansas, who struggles with a reading problem, but longs to become a teacher. She is sent by her parents to a nearby soddy to help the new wife become acclimated to the prairie. Eventually she finds she has to rely only on her own knowledge and wits to survive. A well written and fascinating look at the taming of the prairie.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2012
    May is the main character of this captivating novel in verse. She's a young pioneer girl who finds herself forced to survive alone, in a sod house, in the middle of nowhere, Kansas, during the westward expansion. When her parents send May to work for a neighboring farmer (15 miles away, which might as well been across the country), she doesn't expect that soon she'll find herself abandoned by her employers. When a blizzard hits the prairie, she must make tough decisions in order to survive. But she's a survivor on more than one level -- May also has dyslexia and struggles with reading. This is a particularly moving part of the book, as we watch May rise above her own fears and the ridicule of a particularly nasty teacher.

    I have a 6th grader who is a picky reader and an 8th grader studying the westward expansion of America in the mid-1800s -- I'm passing MAY B on to both of them, knowing that there's much they can take away much from this masterful and beautifully written tale.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2012
    I'm not always a fan of books in verse, but I enjoyed this book so much.

    One of my favorite things about Caroline Starr Rose's writing is that she conveys heaps of emotion in very few words. And, unlike many books in verse, Caroline's writing isn't so abstract that it's difficult to follow.

    I just started reading it to my seven-year-old daughter and she loves it too.

    This is a must-read for any child who loves historical fiction and/or novels in verse.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2014
    I in enjoyed this book because it was adventurous and a good book for 4th graders. It is a good book but at the end I didn't really get it. It was confusing to me. You leave a comment.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Selfie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Die Persönlichkeit der May B.
    Reviewed in Germany on March 8, 2013
    Zur winterlichen Zeit, dachte ich mir ich müsste auch mal was passend dazu lesen. Und da das Cover zu May B. und auch der Inhalt in die Jahreszeit passt, habe ich mich nun diesem Roman gewidmet.

    May B. hat mich wirklich gut unterhalten. Die Geschichte der kleinen May, die ein Leseproblem hat, hat mich direkt gefesselt. Sie wird von ihrem Vater und ihrer Familie getrennt um bei "Nachbarn", die aber ziemlich weit entfernt wohnen, auszuhelfen. Angekommen ist alles neu und etwas seltsam. Die Familie Oblinger verlässt kurze Zeit später May B. und diese muss sich nun bis kurz vor Weihnachten alleine durchschlagen, denn erst dann kommt ihr Vater wieder um sie abzuholen.

    Sie lernt schnell zu überleben, für Nahrung zu sorgen, nicht zu erfrieren und auch noch gegen die Einsamkeit anzukämpfen. Sie versucht alleine nachhause zu gelangen, doch der Weg ist weit und Tiere wie z.B. Wölfe lauern ihr auf.

    Mich hat die Geschichte berührt, dieses kleine Mädchen kämpft um ihr Leben und gegen die Meinung anderer. Sie stellt sich immer mutig sonderbaren Situationen gegenüber und gibt niemals auf. Sie versucht an ihrem Problem zu arbeiten, an ihrer Leseschwäche, und stellt sich ihrem Schicksal mutig gegenüber. Die einzelnen Tage und Monate ziehen an einem so schnell vorüber, das man nacher auf die Uhr schaut und denkt: "Wo ist die Zeit geblieben?", da man sosehr an dem Leben des Mädchen interessiert ist.

    Ich hatte das Buch innerhalb von ca. 2 Tagen durchgelesen und war zufrieden mit dem Ergebnis das uns Mrs. Rose geliefert hat. Der leichte und wunderbare Schreibstil lässt die Welt von May B. und auch ihrer Figuren sie sehr authentisch wirken. Wüsste ich nicht das die Story erfunden ist, hätte ich glatt gedacht das es sich so wirklich abgespielt zu haben schien.

    Interessant ist, dass man nicht nur von der May B. liest die in der Gegenwart um ihr überleben kämpft, sondern auch von der May B. die von ihren Schülern ausgelacht wird und von ihrer Leherin als dumm bezeichnet wird, nur weil sie die Wörter die sie lesen soll, nicht richtig aussprechen kann. Die Idee fand ich gelungen und ich war richtig stolz auf May, dass sie nie aufgegeben hat sondern immer weiter gekämpft hat, gegen die Meinung anderer und für sich selbst.

    Fazit:
    May B. ist ein toller Roman den man schnell an einem kühlen Wintertag mit einer Tasse Kakao durchlesen und genießen kann. Die Hauptprotagonistin kann man einfach nur gerne haben, und auch ihre Familie, besonders ihr Bruder Hiram, laden nur zum gernhaben ein. Die Gegenwart wo May um ihr Überleben kämpft und auch die Vergangenheitsszenen wo man mehr erfährt zu der Leseschwäche von May, haben mir gut gefallen und haben schön miteinander harmoniert. Der leichte und wunderschöne Schreibstil der Autorin entführt den Leser in eine aufregende Welt und in das Leben der May B. Wer ein Buch sucht für die dunklen Nachmittage und nichts was zu sehr anstrengt, dem kann ich May B. wärmstens empfehlen! ;)