Missing May

Rating:
Summary: INSPIRATION FROM BEYOND
Review: Narrated in the first person by a 12-year-old girl named Summer, this slim volume (only 89 pp) reveals different ways people cope with the death of a loved one. For 6 years now Uncle Ob and Aunt May have provided the family's orphan with the best home whe has ever known: with love that does not have to be earned or repaid, self-esteem and the freedom to explore nature and her own feelings. Then sudeenly her beloved May dies
and Uncle Ob just gives up on life.

This young girl experiences the Grieving process, but gradually realizes that her uncle is turning his back on life; she will be an orphan again if she can not inspire him with the desire to live.
She is terrified that Something will happen to Ob.
She finally confides her fears and helplessness to Cletus, an odd neighbor boy about whom even she has her doubts.

When Ob claims that he feels May's spirit hovering near, he becomes motivated to contact her--to receive a last blessing and put emotional closure on their relationship. The three
psychic pilgrims undertake a short odyssey of spiritual growth to locate a medium.

Does May truly have a message from beyond the
grave for her cherished family? If so, will it
restore Ob's will to live? And what happends if they fail to make contact? A poignant tale of tender mournings, self-discovery and compassion.

Rating:
Summary: I read this book 3 times.
Review: One of the things I love about the story is the "unconditional love" displayed. If you put Aunt May, Uncle Ob, Summer or Cletus under a magnifying glass, they would be some pretty sad characters. Their love for each other raises each character out of his abyss. Whenever I drive through the state of West Virginia, I look at the shacks on the mountains. I wonder if their occupants are as blessed as the characters in "Missing May".

Rating:
Summary: A pathetically boring book.
Review: This book was pathetically boring. It's like, Summer is adopted, she's sad that her Aunt is dead, her Uncle thinks he see's visions of [Aunt] May, they go to some church place to see if he is seeing visions with a weird boy the met, they leave. Boring! It's also unclear. You can never tell if he saw these visions or not. And the book jumps from one thing to another so you can never figure out what's happening. Unclear! Boring! Pathetic! This is deffinatly the worst book I've read. And believe me, it is hard for a book to get a one from me. The book has to be absoluetly pathetic for that to happen. And this book is. For all of you who are reading this, one peace of advise: Never read this book unless necessary. I read it for a book report. I hated that book report. It was the worst one ever, because the book was so terrible.

Rating:
Summary: This book was not easy to read, too moody and dark.
Review: I read this book because it has been included on a list of books for a literature club my students will compete in next year. Although I found the book thought provoking, I really did not enjoy the reading of it until the end. The ending more than made up for the gloominess of the subject and the fact that I found myself wondering what was to happen to the characters in the future. I guess I need a sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Boring.
Review: I didn't like it. I hate self-pity stories. It was so boring that I never finished it. Yet another boring Newberry Award winner. Doesn't the commitee ever look at interesting, fun stories? Or do they sit around all day reading depressing books?

Rating:
Summary: The only book that has ever made me cry
Review: Sad but not excessively depressing, the character Summer hits it right on the button with her feelings and thoughts on love, death, and grieving. I love Cletus because he's on a different, peaceful, creative wavelength. In fact, all of the few characters are memorable, including May and her message at the end. A must-read

Rating:
Summary: Cynthia Rylant will touch your soul.
Review: In this quick (only 88 pages), but touching book, Cynthia Rylant captures the quirky personalities of four unique people. Rylant's words evoke emotions from the soul and provide a rare glimpse into the heart of her characters. This compassionate, yet sometimes difficult story reminds us that it is often through the loss of another that we find a piece of ourselves.

Rating:
Summary: Missing May
Review: Missing May is about a girl named Summer, whose Aunt May dies while 'gardening'(not working in the garden). After May dies, her Uncle Ob acts as if he doesn't want to continue with his life. This, of course, worries Summer. See how Ob and Summer learn to cope, if they do, with May's death.

Rylant writes beautifully in her second Newbery book. If you like 'May', then you'll love A Fine White Dust, also by Cynthia Rylant

Rating:
Summary: Missing May is O.K.
Review: Missing May is a wondrous tale of grief and recovery. The author deserves all the recognition she received for this book. I am amazed that, even though it is written for young readers, just how much it appeals to adults. I remember years ago when it was read to one of my college classes by our professor. It literally brought tears to almost everyone's eyes. The book is so skillfully written that it transcends age levels, genres, and labels. Not a single word is wasted in this story. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: If you have just lost a family member this book is for you!
Review: I am a student at West Virginia State College taking Children's Literature. As part of our assignment, we were to read a Newbery Award Winning Book and write our personal review.

This story is about what life was like for some people in the mountains of West Virginia several years ago. It is rich in portraying cultural history of West Virginians. This is important to me because I am a strong believer in learning about one's culture and heritage. I have the goal to teach West Virginia History to 4th or 8th Graders someday and will definitely use this book as part of that.

In this book, Rylant seems to be honest with her words. It seems as if these things could actually happen or actually did happen. I grew up near Deep Water Mountain and have passed through there several times. As I read the book, I tried to picture where this had taken place. I wondered if Summer was actually a real person and still alive. This book touched me in many ways.

This book would be an excellent aid in allowing someone to learn about dealing with the death of a loved one. I felt as is I could relate to Summer and Ob because my grandmother passed away a few years ago and I had to learn how to deal with it in my own way, just as Summer and Ob did too.