Rating: 
Summary: I love it!
Review: I thought this book was almost perfect -- the language, the format, the story. They all worked so well together in conveying the story. This is definitely not just a book for kids.
Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful book
Review: I read this book on an airplane and I cried openly. I felt so lucky to have a chance to look across time and space into this imtimate view of a girl growing up at the turn of the century, based on a real person. I found the use of capitalization absolutely perfect in conveying the not only the meaning of the text but the emotional impact and the way May Amelia was internalizing what is being said to her. The present tense only made the perceptions more immediate, and I think all together the author's choices were extremely effective in successfully creating a true time travel experience for the reader. There were many characters, boys and girls, and they all were very distinctive. I would hate to think any girl coming of age would miss out on the chance to know May Amelia just because some people are sticklers for more traditional format, since this book really lights up the shelves of children's literature and I can't wait to read it out loud to as many kids as will listen. To the other reviewer: yes, Zachary Beaver is terrific, and I do agree that the National Book Award has promoted some sensational children's literature that surely rivals the Newbery, but there's no need to read one instead of the other. Let's be glad there are more forums to recognize the best of the best! I'll wager time will prove that Our Only May Amelia is among the more enduring and beloved female protagonists from the turn of OUR century! P.S. if you like this book, try The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, you'll like it, too!
Rating: 
Summary: our only may amelia
Review: I thought May Amelia was a great book. Coming from a family of four boys and being the only (and the youngest) girl, I conected with may's thoughts and feelings. I love books that make me laugh and cry and Our Only May Amelia did just that!
Rating:
Summary: Newbery Honors well-deserved!
Review: I am astonished by the strong, negative reactions to May. The book is delightful! The characters are lively and believable--from headstrong, tomboyish, yet romantic May; to her stern but practical and loving father, who's trying to hold things together in a tough environment; to Grandmother Patience, who rings so true to me that I can only guess that the last reviewer has never had experience with such a selfish, spiteful person--believe me, they do exist. All of these petty complaints about the style (no quotation marks, the capitalization, etc.) just shows me how very small so many people's minds are. Complaining about that is like complaining about the speech patterns, punctuation, and spelling of the narrator of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." As for hearing more about May's aunt the "kept woman"--I mean, come on...this is a kid's book, after all! Ms. Holm has filled the turn-of-the-century Pacific Northwest--a setting heretofore unexplored in literature--with life, delightful characters, wonderful anecdotes, and real heart. I feel very happy knowing that this Newbery winner will stay in print forever, and that children will be able to read this wonderful story for generations to come.
Rating: 
Summary: No Kind Of Book, Indeed. . .
Review: I must admit, I was very disappointed with this book. To begin with, as someone has already mentioned, the format is quite hard to follow, there is no punctuation and when Amelia thinks someone really means something The First Letter Of Each Word Is Capitialized. That gets old quick. More than that, parts of this book feel very false. May Amelia's grandmother is such a detestable woman that I kept expecting her to twirl her mustache and laugh as May is tied to a railroad track. Other things that were there, but not enough: one of May's brothers just running off and her aunt hinting lightly at the fact that she was a "kept woman". I needed more. Nothing seemed to really hold together. This was not a total waste of my time, however. Parts of the book shined through, and I do honestly feel Jennifer Holm has a lot of talent. But a Newbery Honor medal? For this? A little too much hype for my taste. Almost all the Newbery selections were this year, really. (Though "Getting Near to Baby" and "Bud, Not Buddy" were strong.) More deserving, by far, were the books that caught the National Book Award's attention. Don't waste too much time with May Amelia. Check out Kimberly Willis Holt's Zachary Beaver instead.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I know this book won a Newbery and is supposed to be for kids, but I have to say I loved it too, and I'm a grown-up. May Amelia is drawn with such a clear vision that she leaps off the page and into your heart from the very beginning. She's sharp and witty and likeable and won't stand for any guff from anyone who wants her to be something she's not. Now I have to strongly disagree with the reviewer who didn't like the format: I loved the format for two reasons 1) it conveyed an immediacy and directness which is what May the character is all about, and 2) it helped remind me, as I was reading, that May is the child of immigrants and thinks in Finnish. It's so rare to find a writer who can tell a great yarn and can be a real artist with form too. Faulkner could do it; and I predict a bright future for this author too. By the way, this book is not just for girls either -- I was really moved by May Amelia's struggles to find her place in the world. Anybody (boy or girl, young or old) who has ever felt that everyone around them wants them to be something they are not will be deeply moved. I can't wait for the author's next book!
Rating:
Summary: soooooo sad.
Review: I loved this book. It is probably one of the best i've read, and, let me tell you, I've read a lot. The first review said it drove them crazy because everything is in present tense and there are no quotation marks. let me ask you something: WHAT DOES THAT MATTER? I have to admit I was a liitle anoyed at first, but you get used to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good plot, bad format
Review: This book has a pretty good plot. It is entertaining and is very good for those who like the pioneer stories and such. But the format of this book takes away so much from it. It all takes place in present tense and has no quotaion marks. I couldn't stand it! If you are a patient reader, you may like this book. Give it a try. it is a very good story. But beware of the format! I possibly would have given it five stars if it weren't for the style of the writing.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down!!! Perfect for 12 year old girls.
Review: This a very touching story. It is so realistic and interesting. It takes place in the Nasel river area in South west Washington and in Astoria Oregon. You see what life was like for another 12 year old a hundred years ago. Have a box of kleenex handy.
Rating:
Summary: A very good book.
Review: Twelve-year-old May Amelia is one of the few girls in a small Washington farming community in 1899 - amd the only girl in a family of seven brothers. So it's only natural she turns out to be a tomboy. But now that she's twelve, everyone wants to turn her into a "proper young lady," and she rebels against their efforts. This was a very good book. It had moments that were sad, exciting, and more.
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