May Bird and the Ever After

What an incredible story. My nine year old is begging to read one more chapter every night. We have actually also read book two which is just as good as book one and possibly even better. I am so glad that book three is out and I am anxiously waiting for it to arrive. This book was great fun and I recommend it whole heartedly. It is a little spooky but that is part of the fun!

May-Bird is a book where a shy, ten-year-old girl gets pulled into a lake that is strangely there because May-Bird's town is in the middle of a serious drought. She soon finds herself in a strange place called the Ever-After. Desperate to get back home she decides to go search for the Book of the Dead. I highly recommend this book. It is full of excitement and adventure. You won't want to put it down until the last page. Even when you ahve finished you'll be scrambling to find out what happens next.

What happens when you fall into another world? Alice could tell you all about Wonderland. Likewise, May Bird could tell you all about the Ever After. May Bird is a bright, independent and imaginative young girl whose best friend is her hairless cat, the aptly-named Somber Kitty. One day, she receives a mysterious letter which prompts her to visit the nearby woods. Little does she know that she's about to go on the trip of her life -- among the no-longer-living! With the help of Pumpkin - a timid ghost who has, without her knowledge, been her long-time guardian - she navigates the strange land. The Ever After is part Beetlejuice, part Oz, and sometimes a little scary for May, but her bravery sees her through. Somber Kitty also fell into the Ever After, but he was separated from his owner. While May Bird tries to find a way home, Somber Kitty attempts to find her by following her scent. Somber Kitty is absolutely adorable and simply meowvelous. His determination and loyalty make his part of the story just as important as hers. May Bird and the Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson is the first in a trilogy. The second is May Bird Among the Stars. The third title has yet to be released or announced. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

I knew when I bought this book I'd love it! I actually just finished it today and hated it was over. I was kind of surprised about the ending. I thought it would of ended differently. I knew it was a series but I thought she'd make it home and then travel back to Ever After like the Dorothy in the original Oz book series. But this is good to because it makes you eager for the next book. This book is a complete mix of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice and the original Oz book series. She meets all sorts of crazy characters that you'll love. Mary Bird is a skinny shy loner who is literally dragged into the portal to the Ever After world of the dead. She has to be very careful because if she's discovered Bogeyman will come with his great black dogs. "Live ones" are forbidden to enter you see. She goes on a crazy adventure in order to get home before evil Bo Cleevil get's ahold of her. This book is stuffed with creativity and excitement. I was anxious, surprised and grossed out while reading, it was great fun! :) I think it would make a great movie!

This book is like Alice in Wonderland + Coraline + Beetlejuice... but so much more. When I wasn't freaked out, I was laughing. There's a little bit of everything here. I'm so glad it's the first in a trilogy-- I can't wait to read the next one!