Scan barcode
berlydawn2's review against another edition
3.0
May Amelia is part of a close knit Finnish community that settled in Washington state at the turn of the century. She is the only girl in her family and she has SEVEN brothers. She loves hanging out with her brothers and acting like a tomboy - but unfortunately her mother and father have different ideas.
nicoleandre's review against another edition
3.0
I was in the mood for a pioneer novel, and this did not disappoint. I love May!
authorlisaard's review against another edition
5.0
'Our Only May Amelia' would make a terrific introduction to middle-grade historical fiction for boys and girls alike.
May Amelia is the daughter of Finnish immigrants, settled in southwest Washington near Astoria, Oregon. She is also the only girl on the Nasel River settlement. With seven brothers in her family, May Amelia is a stand out. She is strong, boyish and prone to mischief. This makes for great story-telling.
The format reminded me of the Little House series, with interesting stories told in chronological order. Some stories are quite sad, some terrifying and many will have readers laughing out loud. This is really a book for all ages. Older readers will appreciate the history of Astoria with it's Scandinavian and Chinese immigrants, canneries, and shanghai exploits. However, parents be warned if reading this to sensitive, younger kids, as the stories are real-life.
I also liked the author notes in the back, showing a page from her great-aunt's diary -- the inspiration for May Amelia. The historical afterword confirms many aspects of the story.
Highly recommended.
May Amelia is the daughter of Finnish immigrants, settled in southwest Washington near Astoria, Oregon. She is also the only girl on the Nasel River settlement. With seven brothers in her family, May Amelia is a stand out. She is strong, boyish and prone to mischief. This makes for great story-telling.
The format reminded me of the Little House series, with interesting stories told in chronological order. Some stories are quite sad, some terrifying and many will have readers laughing out loud. This is really a book for all ages. Older readers will appreciate the history of Astoria with it's Scandinavian and Chinese immigrants, canneries, and shanghai exploits. However, parents be warned if reading this to sensitive, younger kids, as the stories are real-life.
I also liked the author notes in the back, showing a page from her great-aunt's diary -- the inspiration for May Amelia. The historical afterword confirms many aspects of the story.
Highly recommended.
drosenquist's review against another edition
5.0
I love historical fiction. this one is full of adventure and a character with a big heart.
hartstrings's review against another edition
3.0
May Amelia is a tomboy growing up with lots of brothers along the Nasel river (Washington state) in the late 1800's. May is always getting into trouble and doesn't want to be the 'proper young lady' that folks seem to think she should. It's not all carefree fun for May, she works hard, and has to deal with some pretty heavy issues, but May Amelia is a vibrant character and the setting was interesting enough to keep me listening. Pretty good historical fiction.
amu_pdf's review against another edition
2.0
I had such beef with this book as a kid because it had Amelia’s name in it and I thought it should be my name instead. After reading it, I stand by it having Amelia’s name instead because it’s boring. Mind you, this is a children’s book and I am an adult, so my opinion is coming from a different mindset than the intended audience, but I don’t think it’s really good. It was boring and none of the characters had interesting personalities or plot lines. It felt like the author had a general idea of a kid’s life in the country and no other plot points. I would not recommend for children or adults
ahayesbell's review against another edition
4.0
This was a reread from when it was first published in 1999. The story is based on the author's great Aunt's journals of a young European settler in WA state.
ivygracewild's review against another edition
5.0
Great book about a Finnish girl growing up in what is now Washington state around 1900.
j_rowley's review against another edition
3.0
This was pretty good. A little choppy. Always interesting to see what life was like back then. May Amelia is the only girl in a family of too many boys. She is a trial to her parents and brothers. Always in scrapes, usually from curiosity, she keeps her family on their toes. She dresses in overalls (a no-no for that time), she doesn't want to do what nice girls are supposed to do. (but the family should take a look at what they have her do, she works along side the boys, plus help her pregnant mother around the house)
Set in Washington state, May Amelia lives in a Finnish settlement. She is the only girl for miles because everyone else seems to have had sons. She likes to fish and do what the boys do. She doesn't like to be told she can't do something because she is a girl. She spends a good part of the book fighting this, and her family's attitude.
All in all an interesting read. Could have been smoothed out more.
Set in Washington state, May Amelia lives in a Finnish settlement. She is the only girl for miles because everyone else seems to have had sons. She likes to fish and do what the boys do. She doesn't like to be told she can't do something because she is a girl. She spends a good part of the book fighting this, and her family's attitude.
All in all an interesting read. Could have been smoothed out more.