HIT: Our Only May Amelia

[Timothy Matthews <tam910@earthlink.net>]

Thank you for all those responding to my request for input on this Newbery
Honor book. In addition to the comments below, I had a message from someone
who will be discussing the book as a group later, so I may post an update
later.
Thanks again,
Janet Matthews, LMS
Shining Mountain Elementary
Spanaway, WA
jpm910@yahoo.com

For what it's worth, I am not buying it for my K-5
Catholic school. This however was a decision made
more because we do NOT study Washington at all (even
though I lived in Seattle for a couple of years) than
because of the murder scene.

Have to agree with you about that scene though.

************************************************************
I purchased the book for my library (gr. 2-5) and have had no problems. It
was purchased through my "In Honor of..." program and I chose it for a 4th
grade girl. She loved it. HTH!

************************************************************
Janet, my experience with Newbery award winners is that frequently they
contain
themes or "parts" that are totally inappropriate for elementary school and
often
elementary students aren't interested in the books--too advanced for them.
The
grade designation for the Newbery is, if I remember correctly, grade 4-8. I
would buy it but I would also be very careful about who checked it out. I'm
now
in a middle school but for years I've told kids who came to the desk with
books
I knew were emotionally/academically beyond them that perhaps they could
select
something else. Their teachers appreciated that and so did most parents. If
someone insisted, I often called parents and discussed it with them and if
they
wanted their kids to check them out, great. My daughter told me a few years
ago
that I had let her read books that were emotionally inappropriate for her (I
always let her choose) and that she wished I'd been more selective, that
some
things made indelible marks on her psyche! I learned from that. But I do
think
the Newbery books should be in the library for those who do want them.

**************************************************************

I loved the book. I just found it and read it last week. I work in a K-8
school and am putting the book on the shelves. Frankly, if you've got 4th
graders who will read it and not be frightened off by the length, I'd
rejoice and let them read it. Is it worse than the daily newscast or the
newspaper?

*******************************************************

Janet, I just finished reading Our Only May Amelia last night. I enjoyed it
and am now going to put my own copy into the library. I think my target age
group for this book will be fifth and sixth grade. I think fourth graders in
Washington would appreciate it because of the setting but fourth graders
here would be somewhat confused by it. As for the woman being murdered ... I
don't think it is as graphic as you make it out to be. Maybe that's because
I read your post before I got to that scene and was expecting the worst. You
said in your post that it was completely unnecessary to the plot. I don't
agree with you. The woman being murdered is the reason that May tries to
find the murderer and ends up being chased into a tree by a bear. I think
when she goes to find the murderer is the most exciting part of the book and
it really shows us who May is. Just my two cents worth!

**************************************************************************

Our school is a small K-8 catholic school. I own the book and so far it has
been read by 2 4th grade girls, and 1 5th grade girl. Two of the girls are
very shy and quiet, and if anybody was going to be bothered by the scene, it
would probably be them. They loved the book, and wanted more books like it.
None of the girls mentioned the scene to me so I assume they didn't take
offfense. This is merely ancedotal, information. I do own the book, and we
are a relatively conservative school.

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