Review: May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

May B.
by Caroline Starr Rose
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Random House Children's Books 

My Rating: 4 Stars

Summary:  
 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.


My Review:

     I enjoyed the Laura Ingles Wilder books growing up and the stories of prairie life.  There is just something intriguing about how people lived and survived long before we had all the modern conveniences of today.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from May B. since it was my first book to read that is written in verse.   With that being said, I really enjoyed the flow and pace of the book.

     Caroline does a beautiful job of painting a picture of life on the prairie.  May finds herself in a situation that she doesn’t fully understand, but trusts her parent’s decision.  When she arrives at her neighbor’s home, she is quick to realize life there will be quite different from that at home.   May is sad that this move will require her to stop her schooling though she tries to keep practicing between chores and cooking.  When the unthinkable happens, May is abandoned, left alone to fend for herself.  This presents a problem as the weather is getting colder and the fact that she is 15 miles from her family without any signs at to how to get back home.  May struggles to survive and fight her own demons that caused her to struggle in school.  As a teacher, I picked up on what may be challenging May in school and enjoyed seeing her not give up.

      May B. is an enjoyable read that offers a glimpse into a world that has long since been hidden by the modern world we live in today.  As I read this novel, I could picture several students who are reluctant to read chapter books that would enjoy not only the story, but the flow of May B.  I would recommend May B. to readers of any age.


Where you can find more about May B. and Caroline Starr Rose:
GoodReads
Class of 2k12
Website

Author Interview: Caroline Starr Rose

I had the pleasure of interviewing Caroline Starr Rose, author of the upcoming May B. a Novel.  Caroline is a member of the Class of 2k12 and May B. is her debut novel that is scheduled to release January 10, 2012.

This is the first book that I have read written in verse and I really enjoyed how it flowed.  What made you write May B. in verse?

     May B. didn’t start as verse, and I was frustrated by the distance I felt between what I was writing and what I was truly trying to convey. It was when I went back over some first-hand accounts of frontier women that I realized a spare, matter of fact style would best suit the story and the character and best represent the women of the era.

How did your experience as a teacher influence the development of your main character?  Did she remind you of any former students?

     My teaching did influence the development of May’s character, but not in ways that would be obvious. Writing for me always forces deep self-examination. In creating a character whose needs aren’t fully understood or met by her teachers, I had to face my own shortcomings in the classroom. It’s not easy to admit you’ve not done all you could for a child, whether those limitations came from time constraints, lack of skills or knowledge, or some other barrier. In understanding this aspect of my teaching, I was able to more honestly examine May’s struggles and feelings of frustration, hurt, and confusion. I hope, too, that what I’ve written offers hope to those who feel inadequate or misunderstood, whether in or out of school.

     May doesn’t remind me of any students specifically, but I had several in mind when developing her storyline.

   I too love the Little House books!  How challenging or enlightening was the research for this book?  Did it change any thoughts or ideas you had about that time period?

     I loved researching for this book! In my mind, there is no one stronger than those who daily faced the loneliness, uncertainty, and back-breaking work required of frontier living. 

What would you have done if you were in May B.’s situation?

     Nothing half as brave as May is ultimately able to do! I think I would have done a lot of crying and would probably have not been able to move beyond despair.

  I know this is your debut book, are you working on anything else that you can share at this time?

     I’m working on a picture book about the Louisiana Wetlands, a contemporary middle grade novel about a girls’ club, and another historical verse novel set early on in American history.

I always like to ask a random, non-book related question.  With the holiday season upon us, what is your favorite family tradition and favorite food to indulge in this time of year?

     One of my favorite things growing up was to drive around my hometown, Albuquerque, NM, on Christmas Eve to see the luminarias -- paper bags filled with sand and a candle -- lined along sidewalks and rooftops. Traditionally, luminarias are lit on December 24 and 25 to light the way for the Christ child. They’re gorgeous in their simplicity and speak to a culture I love.

      We moved back to town last year, and I was thrilled to share the Christmas Eve luminaria drive with my boys. Except. We got stuck in a really long viewing line, and both my boys needed to go to the bathroom. There was no turning around. One guy grumbled about “the bags;” the other wailed about the bathroom. The adults in the car vacillated between laughter and frustration -- an interesting memory, to say the least!

     This time of year I crave tamales, another New Mexican holiday tradition. It’s good to be home! 

Thanks Caroline for the great interview! I featured the trailer for May B. a couple weeks ago, check it out HERE.  

Don't forget to check back on December 30th to see my review of May B.

 

Caroline Starr Rose Online:

Website

GoodReads

Class of 2K12

The Apocalypsies

Trailer Thursday

This week's book trailer features a debut book I have recently finished via Net Galley and really enjoyed.   I hope you enjoy the trailer for May B. by Caroline Starr Rose and check out the book when it hits stores this January.










Where you can find more about May B. and Caroline Starr Rose:
GoodReads
Class of 2k12
Website

My Friday Reads

Life has a way of interupting reading time, but I'm still squeezing it in!  Reading is a great escape!  Since I haven't been able to sit down and write full reviews of books I've finished, I decided I would do a little mini review about the books I'm currently reading. 

Crossed by Ally Condie

I happened to come across Matched last year before I started this blog and immediately fell in love with it.  I then convinced my librarian and several students to read it and of course, they loved it to!  I've been waiting for Crossed for a while and even more so after I saw this cover last spring.  With that being said, I'm not rushing to finish Crossed, because then I"ll have to wait that much longer for the final installment.  Cassia has embarked on a dangerous journey to find Ky and along the way is finding out more about Xander.  I'll admit I was totally Team Ky after Matched, but I am a little intrigued about the new information on Xander that I have discovered this far.  While Crossed isn't action packed, I am really enjoying falling back in the world Ally Condie has created. 

May B.  by Caroline Starr Rose

I was very excited to be graded a copy of May B. via NetGalley.  This is my first book to read, at least that I remember, that is written in verse.  I wasn't sure what to expect since I do love reading how authors set up their worlds in detail, but I am quite enjoying May B.  The world is still easy to imagine with the short concise descriptions.  I think the verse writing also leaves a little to the imagination, which I think is fun.  As I read, I'm also thinking of several students who are reluctant to read chapter books because they do not like a lot of words on one page and while I haven't seen a print copy of this book, I can think of many who will love how this one is set up.  I'm looking forward to discovering more about the remarkable 

May B.  From what I've read so far, May B. is a girl that many could relate to in different ways.