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The Trouble with May Amelia (May Amelia #2)

by Jennifer L. Holm (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 886 ratings · 185 reviews

May Amelia Jackson lives in Washington State in 1900, but she just can’t act the part of a proper young lady. Working a muddy farm on the rainy Nasel River isn’t easy—
especially when you have seven brothers and a pappa who proclaims that Girls Are Useless. May Amelia jumps at the chance to earn her father’s respect when he asks her to translate for a gentleman who’s intere...more

Audio CD, 0 pages

Published January 10th 2012 by Listening Library (Audio) (first published April 5th 2011)

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Aug 15, 2011 Valerie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Can I just say my 11 year old self would not like this book as much because it was so sad? There are of course more precocious kids than me (I've seen kids read classic Jane Austen stuff) but I was never okay with too sad of stuff as a kid, and I don't think I'm alone in this. This is not to deter anyone from reading it because the book is not exceedingly sad, just kind of.

The book is similar to the first if I remember correctly in that it starts out innocent enough. First, there are day to day...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Sparrow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Sparrow by: a book fairy

Shelves: young-reader, classic-young-reader, pacific-northwest-glory, reviewed, under-read-gems

I’m one of those annoying people who, when someone else waxes nostalgic about a previous decade or century, is always like, “sexist, racist, no hot running water, cobble stones are annoying, smelly, wild animals, Hitler, and no zippers.” I dig simplicity, but that’s pretty much in the eye of the beholder, you know? For example, I could run around town, trying to find somebody who wanted to listen to my opinion about this book, or I could just post it on the internet, and see if anyone cares. The...more I’m one of those annoying people who, when someone else waxes nostalgic about a previous decade or century, is always like, “sexist, racist, no hot running water, cobble stones are annoying, smelly, wild animals, Hitler, and no zippers.” I dig simplicity, but that’s pretty much in the eye of the beholder, you know? For example, I could run around town, trying to find somebody who wanted to listen to my opinion about this book, or I could just post it on the internet, and see if anyone cares. The latter option seems much more simple to me. When people say they’re abandoning technology to simplify, I feel suspicious. I do not think life is simpler without technology. But, maybe they are not trying to be fashionably retro-counter-culture, and they just mean that they love enough people who they see in person that it is overwhelming to look beyond that. That seems nice.

Anyway, this book is a beautiful story that illustrates what I think about the “simple life” not being all it’s cracked up to be. It starts out like a funny, silly chapter-book experience. Like, Oh no! They fell in a river! Mamma, what are cow pies?! That kind of thing. Then, it goes pretty seriously into . . . well, life. It goes into how people suck and growing up sucks. It doesn’t do that in a whiny way, but it does do it in a somewhat adult way. The kids buy a dead man’s hand. There is swindling and rejection and murrrderrr. This is such a good book.

I think Holm does an excellent job at maintaining the Voice of May Amelia, while she obviously grows and changes. Her voice stays the same, but it grows with her. And it does that thing that old documents do, where they capitalize the first letter of words that seem Important. A friend of mine in law school always nerdily laugh about that. Like, whaaa, James Madison? Do you want us to notice the word Jurisdiction there? May Amelia does that, too. At first, it wasn’t my favorite, but it really grew on me.

I don’t know if I would have liked this when I was young. I think I would have. But, I like it now. It was a really simple, beautiful way to talk about being a girl in a world that doesn’t always love girls.

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I received a free copy of this book from a book fairy. Thank you!!(less)

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May 31, 2011 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-award-possibilities

I liked this, as I like all of Jennifer Holm's books, because she's an excellent writer who just doesn't seem to make missteps. But (as usual) I didn't feel a strong connection to her main character here.

The book almost seems to be written with the Newbery criteria in mind, because there's excellence in the delineation of setting (sneaks up on you, rather than knocks you over the head), and development of plot (early themes all get explored, even if you think they're just one-off comments at the...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Jason Penckofer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historicalfiction, 20thcentury, mocknewbery2012, firstgenerationamericans, authorsnote

Disclaimers: I've not read Our Only May Amelia and I tend not to care for Jennifer L. Holm's historical fiction.
The first person narration is strong, and the setting (Early 20th century Washington state) is pretty unique. I share the concerns of those who think the sheer number of bad things which befall May Amelia's family in one year strains credulity some (the quantity only- each of the bad things is perfectly believable within the context); indeed, the author's note relates that several of t...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Treasure rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-books, series

By two-time Newbery Honor author (and the author of the Babymouse series!), this sequel to Our Only May Amelia continues to follow the story of the Finnish family Jackson as they farm on the Nasel River in Washington State in the year 1900. An excellent work of historical fiction, readers do not need to read the first book to enjoy this one. It is easy to fall in love with narrator May Amelia, who does not use quotation marks when dialoguing and liberally uses Capitalizations When Necessary for...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-chapter

In Jennifer L. Holm’s sequel to Our Only May Amelia, our heroine is back and causing as much trouble for her family as she ever has. Fending for herself with 6 older brothers and a mean old Papa in rural Washington state during the turn of the century, has never been fun for the precocious tomboy. This causes her to question their approval and love. When a family investment turns sour, all eyes and blame turn to May Amelia. Yet, she charms us with her candid child-like understanding from the per...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Mrs. Severson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh my.... I loved this book. May Amelia's voice was so strong, the characters so well-defined. I love the conflict in this book and the resolution. And even though I was really upset with Pappa on how he talked to and about his daughter -- I do think it was historically accurate. A friend of mine has a letter that her grandmother wrote to her mother on the occasion of her visiting when she was four. Never once in that letter is Nancy's name mentioned. The grandmother referred to her as "your gir...more

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May 28, 2011 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: frontier

Jennifer Holm's 1999 novel Our Only May Amelia (which received a Newbery Honor in 2000) is one of my all-time favorite historical novels for kids, and I was eager to read the sequel which has just been released this spring. If you haven't read the first book, May Amelia is the only girl in a large family of Finn immigrants living in a remote area of Washington State around 1900. Amelia fits into the tradition of feisty tomboy frontier girls like Laura Ingalls, and her first story both made me la...more Jennifer Holm's 1999 novel Our Only May Amelia (which received a Newbery Honor in 2000) is one of my all-time favorite historical novels for kids, and I was eager to read the sequel which has just been released this spring. If you haven't read the first book, May Amelia is the only girl in a large family of Finn immigrants living in a remote area of Washington State around 1900. Amelia fits into the tradition of feisty tomboy frontier girls like Laura Ingalls, and her first story both made me laugh and made me sob (no spoilers, for those who haven't read it).

While the sequel doesn't quite pack the emotional wallop of the first book, I greatly enjoyed this book as well. In fact, I felt like I was visiting an old friend whom I hadn't seen in quite some time, one I was glad to catch up with. How to describe 12-year old May Amelia? Holm opens the book with the following description: "My brother Wilbert tells me I'm like the grain of sand in an oyster. Someday I will be a Pearl, but I will nag and irritate the poor oyster and everyone else until then." Her Pappa tells her "he would rather have one boy than a dozen May Amelias because Girls Are Useless." She lives in the middle of nowhere with no girls to keep her company, and she's always being teased by her seven older brothers. Her father not only runs the family farm but also works at a nearby logging camp for extra cash.

When a quick-talking stranger comes to town, May Amelia finally proves useful to interpret for her father from English to Finnish. The stranger's looking for investors to develop the land around the Nasel river, and assures Pappa he has powerful supporters. Pappa would have to mortgage the farm, but is this a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring the family out of poverty and into prosperity? And will May Amelia finally demonstrate to her father that she has "sisu", or guts?

This story is based on the author's own family history, in particular that of her great-grandfather, who settled on the Nasel River in 1871. But it is young May Amelia who's the star of this funny but also moving tale of the Western frontier. She's one of those characters who stays with you long after you've finished her story. I'd love to see Jennifer Holm continue with more stories about May Amelia as she grows up. But I hope we won't have to wait twelve years for the next installment!
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Apr 24, 2011 Eva Mitnick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, historical-fiction

The Finnish-American heroine of Newbery Honor-winning Our Only May Amelia is back, and her life is as tumultuous as ever. On the one hand, being a 13-year-old girl on a farm in the wet middle of Washington State nowhere in 1900 means a whole lot of monotony. On the other hand, having 6 older brothers (plus a male cousin), a fierce and dour father, a kind but busy mother, and penchant for trouble means that May Amelia's life is never quite dull enough.

Life is hard for May Amelia's community. No o...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, historical-fiction, middle-grade, fiction

In this sequel to the Newbery Honor book Our Only May Amelia, Jennifer L. Holm writes about more adventures of May Amelia, her spunky 1900 protagonist. May Amelia is a twelve-year-old living in Nasel, a tiny farming town in Washington State where she has to take a boat to get to her one-room schoolhouse, and, with six older brothers, no other girls around, including at school. This isn't a tale of idyllic farm life. May Amelia's Finnish-American family, the Jacksons, work hard, share their beds...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Ellie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: school-age, girls, historical

I read the first May Amelia book when it first came out in 2001, and while I remember liking it, I don't actually remember too many details about the book other than it was about a girl named May Amelia who had a lot of brothers and was growing up during one of my favorite time periods - late pioneer days (the same time setting as Rose Wilder Lane, Laura's daughter). While I was able to read The Trouble With May Amelia without being too confused, I could definitely tell that it was a sequel/seco...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Brandy Painter rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, middle-grade, historical-fiction, 4-6-realistic

Originally posted here.

I am clearly missing something here. Jennifer Holm has been honored by three different Newbery committees for her novels Our Only May Amelia, Penny from Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. Despite never getting past the first third of Our Only May Amelia and pretty much detesting every moment I spent reading Turtle in Paradise, I dutifully checked out a copy of her latest novel, The Trouble with May Amelia, as soon as my library received its copies. It is, of course, generatin...more Originally posted here.

I am clearly missing something here. Jennifer Holm has been honored by three different Newbery committees for her novels Our Only May Amelia, Penny from Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. Despite never getting past the first third of Our Only May Amelia and pretty much detesting every moment I spent reading Turtle in Paradise, I dutifully checked out a copy of her latest novel, The Trouble with May Amelia, as soon as my library received its copies. It is, of course, generating some award buzz this year. Honestly I just don't get it. If you enjoy historical fiction from the point of view of plucky young girls then there is much to enjoy here. I certainly liked it far more than I have the other works I have tried by this author, but there were still a multitude of things that annoyed me about it.

This novel does a pretty good job accurately depicting life in a logging/farming community in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century. Life for the Jackson family is difficult and there are many terrible things that befall them and their neighbors. It was a precarious way to live and that was conveyed well, as was the close knit community of immigrants from the same country and the attitude toward schooling. I did find it a stretch to think that May Amelia had at some point befriended a Chinese boy and a lady who ran a tavern in Astoria. (Maybe this is because I haven't read the first book?) The book,while having a main plot thread of the land deal running through it, is mostly snap shots of what life was like for the people in such a community.

As for the character of May Amelia herself, she is certainly sympathetic. I did feel for her and her situation(s) as the story unfolded. This is a first person narrative and I felt that her character was remote and rather bland for that format. She only identifies herself as the people around her identify her, which is true to life for children in many ways, however by the age of 12 most children start to question who they are in relation to those around them and May Amelia never does that. Her family say she is "irritating" and she repeats it like a mantra, but nothing in the book gives evidence that this is the case. She works her little tail off for her brothers, mostly without complaining.

What I found the most vexing about the book is one of the things that irritated me about Turtle in Paradise as well. May Amelia's parents and brothers act like petulant children. They storm around and make the strangest decisions while the heroine stands there in bewilderment and lands wherever the turbulent adult whims blow her. Until the end when suddenly she's a hero. For the life of me I can't figure out why the adults in the books act the way they do (almost as if their parents were first cousins-I don't know. Maybe they were?).

The books style further irritated me in that there was an Excessive and Unnecessary use of Capital Letters, and a complete lack of quotation marks. Some people find this quirky and artistic. I just find it annoying.

I admit I began the book with a prejudice against it. Being aware of that I really wanted to give it as fair a chance I could. There were scenes I enjoyed, lines that made me laugh. I could certainly see myself recommending this book to certain children I know. It was just not my cup of tea.(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

10 and up, Holm writes trim, plainspoken, funny, poignant books. I like how she draws her setting and characters--she gives great details but leaves enough blank space for readers to fill in with their impressions. There were some heartbreaking, heart-gasping moments in this book, both sad and happy. I don't think I've ever been so mad at a character in a book as I was at May's father. But he is not a bad person and there is redemption in their relationship that doesn't come too easy. Since his...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Mary Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3rd, 4th, 5th, brothers, coming-of-age, courage, families, fathers, historical-fiction, humor

When I was a kid, I loved reading about girls who went against the grain and weren't "good little girls," wearing dresses and doing what everyone expected of them. I think that's one of the lasting appeals of Laura Ingalls Wilder. She had spunk and a sparkle in her eye. Jennifer Holm has created a wonderful character May Amelia with this same appeal. Living with a pack of brothers, May Amelia wants to do all the exciting, brave things her brothers do - swimming in the Nasel River, working with t...more When I was a kid, I loved reading about girls who went against the grain and weren't "good little girls," wearing dresses and doing what everyone expected of them. I think that's one of the lasting appeals of Laura Ingalls Wilder. She had spunk and a sparkle in her eye. Jennifer Holm has created a wonderful character May Amelia with this same appeal. Living with a pack of brothers, May Amelia wants to do all the exciting, brave things her brothers do - swimming in the Nasel River, working with the animals, helping run the family farm. But living in the Washington state frontier wilderness in 1900 isn't easy - especially when her father declares that Girls Are Useless. This wonderful historical fiction will appeal to 4th and 5th graders who love characters with heart, courage and spunk.

The Jackson family lives in logging country in rural Washington State in 1900, in a community settled by many Finnish immigrants. It's a hard life, with rain, mud and work; but it's also a life full of family and community, traditions and adventure. This is a sequel to Holm's Newbery honor book Our Only May Amelia, but The Trouble with May Amelia can be read on its own since Holm introduces each character nicely.

May Amelia certainly has courage and guts, or Sisu as the Finns call it. As the only girl in a family with seven brothers, she must carry the weight of cooking and cleaning when her mother goes to help catch babies as the local midwife. While her father continually criticizes her as a useless girl, she thinks she may have won his respect when she helps her Finnish-speaking father by translating for a gentleman who asks them to invest in a new company establishing a local harbor for the logging business. But when the man turns out to be a fraud and the family loses everything, everyone blames May Amelia.

May Amelia's spirit and voice shines through on every page. I loved the first person narrative that Holm created - this reads aloud in my head just as if May Amelia is talking right to me. Holm takes you into really hard times for the family and despair for May Amelia, but the family's love and humor pulls through. This powerful, compelling novel will reach your heart and make you laugh.(less)

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Oct 24, 2010 Latricia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was very lucky to get an advance copy of this for review. I loved My Only May Amelia and was delighted to see a sequel. May Amelia's voice is still very unique and takes some getting used to, but personally I like it. She sounds a lot like many of the kids I work with who have recently learned english and like May serve as translators for their parents.

In My Only May Amelia, May Amelia and her family dealt with losing her sister. In Trouble, they get on with life and deal with more problems. M...more

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Dec 02, 2011 katsok rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nerdy-book-club-2011

So let me just get this off my chest. I have not read Our Only May Amelia. *ducks head in shame* In my defense it was released in my first year of teaching in my current school. I was trying desperately to stay afloat. Somehow that beautiful book passed me by. Fast forward to the present. After attending NCTE with all of my friends telling me I HAD to read this, I quickly purchased it. Add that to the wonderful opportunity to meet the amazing Jenni Holm, and this book moved to the top of my to r...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Susie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had several epiphanies while reading this book (after all, it is January 6). Just knowing that I would write a review for it changed the way I read a bit. I take a few notes, but really do reflect more on what I've read if I plan to share it with others. My recent experiences with "The Nerdy Book Club" have had such an inspiring effect on my reading. I keep wanting to try to duplicate the experience for the students at my schools. Too often we bog them down with vocabulary, insignificant detai...more I had several epiphanies while reading this book (after all, it is January 6). Just knowing that I would write a review for it changed the way I read a bit. I take a few notes, but really do reflect more on what I've read if I plan to share it with others. My recent experiences with "The Nerdy Book Club" have had such an inspiring effect on my reading. I keep wanting to try to duplicate the experience for the students at my schools. Too often we bog them down with vocabulary, insignificant details and questions, and overlook the big picture. Because I will have written this review, I know that I will better remember the book and some of its features; don't we wish the same for our students?

Now, for the book itself: I had not read Our Only May Amelia before, so I read it right before I read this one. I do agree that you do not have to have read the first book, but it does help. I like the matter-of-fact way this is written, as if, "This is my life, and that's that." While adults may find part of the book to be predictable, I think fewer and fewer things are predictable in today's world for our students. Holm doesn't try to hit you over the head with all the repercussions of the plot elements, she just moves on. There were laugh-out-loud parts (Friendly and the outhouse immediately come to mind), as well as several sad moments, but I believe this is an accurate picture of what life must have been like. I find it very inspiring that several real life events were included in the book.

I did miss having the map that was included in OOMA and found myself referring back to it a few times, and the lack of quotation marks does still get me at times, but I like May Amelia's strong voice and the manner of storytelling.

Being a librarian and book lover, of course I approved of the fact that the man who finally "wins" the teacher is the man who proclaims his love of books. There really is never proof that he's read them, is there? I guess Miss McEwing eventually would be able to determine that.

The fact that May Amelia has an important part in the resolution is very satisfying; her continued problems with acceptance by her father may really resonate with some readers. The injustice when she is blamed for things that are not her fault are frustrating but realistic. And, count me among those who would be glad to read an additional sequel! I don't know if I will try to use cobwebs to stop bleeding the next time that happens, but I will still be favorably affected by reading this book.(less)

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Oct 11, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, brothers-and-sisters-fiction, frontier-life-fiction, grade-4, grade-5, grade-6, grade-7, pioneers-fiction, sex-role-fiction, finnish-americans-fiction, washington-state-history-19th-centu

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Nov 30, 2011 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade-historical-fiction, newbery-contenders, newbery-contenders-2012

There are quite a few things that I really enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed May Amelia's voice, she comes shining through loud and clear. Within the first chapter I had a pretty good idea of May Amelia's personality, feisty and impetuous, which it was not hard to imagine could be pretty irritating to her family, especially her father who did not know what to do with her. She wasn't like any of the other women that he knew. After reading the first book (Our Only May Amelia) its clear that May A...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children

I still really like May Amelia. I just wasn't sure that I'd have my daughter read this one, as some sad and disturbing things happen and she tends to be sensitive to these things. Once I gave her a summary of the story, she decided to read it as well.

She loved the Little House books. Bad things happen to the Ingalls family too, but she still read those books over and over again. After thinking about it for a while, I think the difference was the attitude in the story. May Amelia's father can bar...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Josiah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anytime there is a sequel to a book as beloved as Our Only May Amelia, as much an immediate classic as anything published in recent memory upon its arrival on the literary scene in 1999, one has to wonder if the author has bitten off more than he or she can chew. There's always a temptation to return to the scene of one's greatest triumph, as Our Only May Amelia undoubtedly is for Jennifer L. Holm, but attempting to follow in one's own hallowed footsteps can be tricky business, especially when...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ncbla

When things take a turn for the worse in the lives of the Jacksons, their livelihood on their Washington farm is threatened, and their family bonds are tested. This book continues the adventures of the intrepid heroine of the Newbery Honor Book Our Only May Amelia, and I have to say I loved just about everything about this book. I laughed, I cried, I reflected, I identified, but most of all, I admired the spirit of May Amelia who somehow finds a way to lighten heavy moments and savor the joyful...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Joella www.cinjoella.com rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, family, historical, juvenile

May Amelia still has many of the same troubles as she did in Our Only May Amelia. She still has to use a rowboat to get to school. She still has to work on a muddy, rainy farm in Western Washington. She still has seven brothers. And she still gets into quite a load of scrapes. Which often result in her beloved Pappa exclaiming that “girls are useless.” When Pappa finally asks May Amelia for help in translating a gentleman’s business venture proposition from English into his native Finnish langua...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Kirby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If this book does not win a Newbery Medal, I will be shocked. Nevermind that I would then have to cross Jennifer Holm off my Christmas card list -- after all, she already has three Newbery honors! But this compelling and powerful story is perfect in my mind. There is not one missed step in this historical novel set in southwestern Washington state, revisiting a beloved character, May Amelia. Even though her father thinks girls are a nuisance, underneath his crusty exterior, there is still a modi...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-kids

After reading an especially good book, I am often left wanting more...a sequel. However, more often than not, the sequel is disappointing- it doesn't hold the same magic as the first book. That is not the case with The Trouble with May Amelia- the sequel to Our Only May Amelia.

Amelia is a character easy to feel for- you sense her longing to be loved by her Pappa- to be good in his eyes. You feel her jealousy that the boys can do things that she can't. The compassion she has for Lonny, the desir...more After reading an especially good book, I am often left wanting more...a sequel. However, more often than not, the sequel is disappointing- it doesn't hold the same magic as the first book. That is not the case with The Trouble with May Amelia- the sequel to Our Only May Amelia.

Amelia is a character easy to feel for- you sense her longing to be loved by her Pappa- to be good in his eyes. You feel her jealousy that the boys can do things that she can't. The compassion she has for Lonny, the desire to fix the "problems" she has created, the lonliness of being away from her family... all of these aspects of May Amelia are palpable.

I loved how Jennifer Holm weaved Finnish tradition and culture into her story, like she did in the first book. I loved how Sisu (translated as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity) is a theme of the book. Sisu is the kind of courage that is not just momentary- but overtime sticking with it. I think it is especially appropiate for the era in which this story was written. May Amelia, her family, and her community- all had to have sisu to perserve through many hardships and adversities.

The ending of this book, like the first, was hopeful. Though there were still hurdles in front of May Amelia and her family, you were left with hope that it would work out. It is not a typical happy ever after ending, but I think that is appropriate given it took place in an era that didn't have a lot of happily ever after endings.
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Feb 21, 2012 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s

Where to put this book??? -- children's, 'tweens, or teens? Which is why I read it. Holm's first Amelia book won a Newbery Honor award, but I never got around to reading it.

Amelia is flanked by a houseful of brothers in turn-of-the-century Washington state. Her parents immigrated from Finland. She is definitely of the tomboy persuasion and has lots of scrapes and trauma, with glorious moments of vindication. The author takes some of the material in the story from her own family history.

I think...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Meredith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mock-newbery, history-included

Holm has definitely captured a VOICE with May Amelia. She reminds me a little of Anne Shirley in overalls.

The dangers faced in the woods make my recent 4.5 days without power (thanks, Irene) seem like paradise ... at least I don't have cougars prowling around or bulls chasing me; at least I can stay dry on my way to work and don't have to worry about a river of logs squishing me.

There are a LOT of characters to keep track of, which is one of the only things that popped out to me as indicating t...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, family-stories, historical-fiction, j-fiction

Why I picked it up: I enjoyed Our Only May Amelia.

This book starts not too long after Our Only May Amelia ends. Still the only girl in the household and in the Nasel River community in Washington state, May Amelia continues to get into trouble. The book is fairly day-in-the-life of a certain time period, and while it seems a little episodic, there is an over-all plot.

May Amelia continues to be a really fun character and I was right about her voice being particularly memorable on audio. I was su...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Amelia from Our Only May Amelia is back telling more tales about life on the frontier in Washington in 1900. Amelia is still iving on the farm with six of her seven brothers and a Dad who is pretty convinced girls are worthless.

When Amelia’s Dad finally finds a use for her as translator when he is doing some business, Amelia can’t believe it when he actually says…outloud…for the whole family to hear…”You Did Good, Girl.”

Her happiness is short lived though when her Dad’s pride in her turns to bl...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Christopher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The "sequel" to the Newbery Honor winning "Our Only May Amelia" is an interesting read. Continuing the adventures of May Amelia Jackson, Jennifer Holm finds May Amelia's voice again and it is a pleasurable enough read. As much as I enjoyed this, it all felt incredibly familiar. It felt like I was reading a "Jennifer L. Holm novel". Without giving anything away, someone runs away...again. The family's welfare is put in jeopardy by the actions of the main character...again. Crazy Scandinavian anti...more

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About Jennifer L. Holm

Jennifer L. Holm is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling children's author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series -- the popular Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She is also the author of several other highly praised books, i...more

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Quotes from The Trouble with May A...

“Mr.Clayton?
Didn't you see her ears?
You mean ears turning bright red means you're in love?
I don't know, he mumbles, and looks down, his ears are bright red.” — 2 people liked it

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The Trouble with May Amelia (May Amelia #2)

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