Our Only May Amelia

"She's a pack of trouble but she's the only May we've got."

May Amelia is a stubborn country girl surrounded each day by her seven brothers. No matter how hard her elders try to make her realize the importance of becoming a Proper Young Lady she is not in the least bit interested. But when Mama gets pregnant and is awaiting a new baby, May can only hope for another girl. Until then she will have to continue exhibiting her tom-boy personality even though it causes all sorts of trouble.

Websites

• This interview can help you to share a little bit about the author with your students. It includes some of the motivations for her work as well as some of the other novels and short stories she has written.
• Our Only May Amelia is a Newbery honor book. You may show your students the Newbery Honor website to explain to them what such an award is about and to show them books that received the same award.

Vocabulary

There are many new words throughout this story for students to grapple with. I discovered this list as I read, deciding that they might be difficult terms for elementary students.

• gill netting
• Chinook
• mutton
• banish
• frail
• sauna
• veranda
• conspire
• gallivanting
• shanghaied

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Give students the vocabulary list above. For a homework assignment have them go home and define each of the terms using a dictionary and what they feel the words mean based on prior knowledge. The following day have students read their definitions aloud to the rest of the class and create a classroom definition based upon similarities.

During Reading

Throughout different passages in the book the author uses capital letters to highlight salient text. Ask students why they feel the author may have capitalized these passages. What is there importance to the plot scheme and the events that are occurring in that particular part of the story? Does this only happen when someone of authority is speaking to May? As they come up with the answers to these questions have them share their reasoning with the class.

After Reading

Have the students write a letter to the author of the story. Through this activity they can raise any questions they have about the author's life, the story or even commend the author for creating an enjoyable novel. You may then send these letters to Jennifer Holm through the email provided on her website and await an answer with the rest of the class.