Missing May (Scholastic Gold)

I'm sorry, Ms. Rylant. Your "I Had Seen Castles" is a masterpiece and "Something Permanent" was hauntingly beautiful, but "Missing May" was so, so boring I couldn't finish it. Just a meandering, dull mess.

After the death of Summer's mother, Summer is passed from one foster home to another at the age of only six years old. This is when a miracle happens. Aunt May and Uncle Ob decide to take her back with them to West Virginia. When Summer thinks her life is finally getting better, Aunt May dies. Both Summer and Uncle Ob are having a hard time coping with the death of their loved one. When things seem like they can get no worse, Cletus Underwood from her seventh grade class gets involved. Cletus ends up helping Summer discover a number of things about herself. She learns to deal with death and help Uncle Ob recover in a way she did not expect. This is a great book to read. It helps both children and adults understand how to deal with losing a loved one. The author uses both humor and suspense to entice and captivate the reader.

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.

Missing May by, Cynthia Rylant is filled with adventure and mixed emotions. Missing May takes place in a town called Deep Water. By using clues from the story I can interpret that it takes place in the present. May, Summer, Ob and Cletus are the four main characters. May is a gentle old woman and her husband Ob is artistic in a creative way. Their niece Summer is independent and always tries to prove herself right. However Cletus their neighbor is always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Summer's, Cletus' and Ob's determination to get in touch with May after her death is what this story revolves around. Missing May is a heartwarming adventure that is just too exciting to put down. Cynthia Rylant's Newberry Medal book is a must read! May's family fights to connect with her death is just one detail that makes this book a must read. When Cletus enters the life of Summer and Ob he spices up their life with photographs of places and objects they have never seen before. Intense feelings shared by these three characters also make you want to keep turning the page. Whoever sees this book and doesn't read it is missing out on a book you will never forget. Cynthia Rylant, the author of this book and her history will make you want to read all of her books. Cynthia wrote sixty books and published her first book in 1982. Ms. Rylant has also won many Newberry Medals overall Cynthia Rylant's book Missing May will change the way you look at life forever.

Summer's parents die. She bounces around from place to place until she finally goes to live on a farm with her aunt and uncle. Her aunt dies. She and her uncle have to learn how to get by on their own without always having to rely on someone else. She finds this somewhat difficult, but eventually she is able to handle this tragedy.. I like this book because it is a book that can make you cry and not alot of books do that. It has characters that seem like real people. It has a tittle that fits the book. It has things in it that can happen to us.

I got this book a long while ago - I think I started reading it about 2 and a half years ago, but I got bored with it and didn't read any more. Then yesterday I found it on a bookshelf, and remembered two and a half years ago when I put it down. I started reading it, and somehow it had a different effect on me. I truly see the value of this calm and peaceful book. True, it doesn't have a lot to keep a person interested, but if you persevere to the end, you might also see the value of this book. I just have to warn you first - you will not find any action or fantasy in this book. This made it quite realistic to me. You probably know the plot by now from other reviews (Summer lives with Ob & May - uncle & aunt; May dies; Summer & Ob grieve; A boy named Cletus Underwood from school reads about someone who might help them communicate with May...). The end is touching and I really think this book has to sink into your mind for you to see the real value of this. I am very knowledgeable about the Newbery criteria, and in my opinion, this is one of the best choices for the Newbery Medal ever. I hope you will like it too, but I do recommend checking it out from your library before buying it, because many people won't like this book. One more thing - I usually do not like books about people dying and their relatives grieving, but I made an exception for this book.