Caroline Starr Rose

In rhyming verse, this book relays the legend of how Will Cody rode horseback more than 20 straight hours across the Southwestern U.S. to deliver the mail back in the 1860s.

While this book tells a compelling story, I fear its lack of context might make it difficult for young children to connect with / understand fully. The story leaps right into it the middle of it, with no background on the Pony Express. This does come later in backmatter, but by that time the whole story has passed. It show more seems like this book would work best in a school setting where they're already discussing the history of this time period. That, or a caregiver would have to either read the backmatter first or lay the scene for the child before starting the book.

The illustrations use interesting angles and a palette of bright oranges and grayish blues. They feature beautiful desert backdrops and wildlife such as falcons. show less

Mavis Betterly is the youngest sister in a family of Kansas pioneers in the 1870s. The Betterly family is struggling, so May is sent to live with another family 15 long miles away to earn wages as a helper. May doesn't want to leave, but she doesn't have a choice, and thus begins her bitter adventure.

Told in free verse poetry, May's story is about overcoming powerful odds. Not only is May left to fend for herself in a leaking sod cabin in the dead of winter with hungry wolves outside her show more door--she is also haunted by memories of her difficult school days where she struggled to read because of a condition we would now know as dyslexia.

In very few words, author Caroline Starr Rose conveys May's inner turmoil and her struggle to find not just a way to survive but a way to believe herself worthy of survival. It's a powerful tale, indeed.

It was heavy on the bleak with nary a giggle, which isn't really my taste. I like a good sad read, but it's better seasoned with moments of levity, which this book completely lacked. So that is why I'm giving it three instead of four stars. As a Newbery contender, my personal taste aside, I'd give it four. show less

You know how once in a while you read a book that really touches your heart? May B did that. In its seemingly simpleness (notice I said “seemingly” – more on that in a moment) May B reached out and wrapped itself –herself – around my heart. As a girl that grew up loving Little House on the Prairie – reading and rereading them countless times, reading May B was almost like getting together with an old friend. Not so much the writing style but more the character of May and how much show more she reminded me of the character of Laura. Both stubborn and tough. Smart and resourceful. I honestly believe they could’ve been friends had they ever met. The number of times I reread about Laura put her firmly in my heart, but May – she was put there in one reading. Her courage and determination nestled its way in without taking no for an answer! Not that I would’ve said no to her mind you. Here was a young girl left alone with no way of knowing when anyone would ever return. Yet she never panicked and never gave up. She just let her natural stubbornness come in and help! I just loved her. I guess you should know that my family has always said that I’m extremely stubborn. Maybe that’s why I loved May so – because I saw some of me in her. Although I do not thing I would’ve been as brave as her.

Now about that “seemingly” part. Caroline Rose Starr put May so firmly in my heart using verse. Yes if you didn’t know May B is a novel told in verse. So she didn’t use long descriptive passages or lots of inter-musings of May’s. Instead Caroline Rose Starr painted her in the purest of lines and in the fewest of words. It seemed effortless. It seemed simple. But I know that when working within verse every word was placed so precisely with complete care and thought. And I knew this to be true because it never once faltered or stuttered. Instead it flowed out and into the reader grasping them with its charm and May’s quiet determination. What an amazing book.

I guess I could say more – but I feel like spewing word after word about it would almost take away from the simple beauty of it. Instead I encourage you to read it and see for yourself.

Final thought: Simplicity at its best
Best stick with you image: the vastness of the land around her
Best for readers who: are willing to read verse and who love strong girl characters
Best for ages: 11+

For the guys? yes if you can get them to read verse show less

Fire towers are something I only had a vague awareness of, so it was interesting to learn more through this girl whose family have been lookouts for generations and also through the information the author provides at the end of this novel in verse.

The only downside of the additional information the author added at the back of the book is that I had already felt like Opal’s longing to attend school in person, while understandable, wasn’t maybe the most necessary plot point compared to show more some other aspects of her life, and then to realize that in actuality, families like hers wouldn’t be in the tower for most of the school year, that left me feeling even more like there were other things that could have been explored further instead of the school issue, such as Opal’s dad, her relationships with her mom and grandma and their expectations of this young kid working in the tower, etc.

This did a fantastic job from start to finish as far as creating a strong sense of suspense and urgency about characters unaccounted for and fire dangers, it has the requisite edge of your seat quality. Opal’s emotions were really well done, too, her determination, her fears, and the way she beats herself up for her mistakes, her feelings throughout much of the book were relatable even if most of us have never been in the situation she finds herself in here. show less