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A review by bookdreamer
Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
3.0
I revisited this book recently after I remembered how much I was captivated by the book in fourth grade, and once again it did not disappoint. I was pleased to find she also wrote the Babymouse series. My sisters and I adored the personality and humor in Babymouse books and were constantly checking and re-checking them out of the library. Our Only May Amelia is also full of personality. Unlike my experiences growing up with sisters, she grew up in a family of boys during the settlement of Washington State. She can hold her own next to her brothers and sometimes causes more trouble than they do. Her experiences with her brothers and large family guide the story forward.
The main conflict in the story comes when May Amelia's mother gives birth. May Amelia takes over caring for her baby sister as her mother is ill. Unfortunately, despite the good care and attention May Amelia gives the baby, she passes away anyways. Her mean-spirited grandmother who seems to hate May Amelia for no reason is delighted with this and blames the death on Ma Amelia. She runs away to her family in Astoria and doesn't return to reconcile with her family until after the death of her grandmother. Reading about the death of May Amelia's younger sister struck me deeply in fourth grade. I remember the scene where the grandmother blames May Amelia for the baby's death vividly. As an adult I can now see that the grandmother was emotionally abusing May Amelia and understand the wrongness of the situation, but as a child I didn't understand it any further than "she's mean." The way the grandmother was allowed to emotionally abuse her without more than a scolding from May Amelia's parents is troubling. It might be worth having a discussion on this with a young reader. Conversations about safety with kids aren't simply about physical boundaries, but also include being treated with respect and kindness from adults.
The main conflict in the story comes when May Amelia's mother gives birth. May Amelia takes over caring for her baby sister as her mother is ill. Unfortunately, despite the good care and attention May Amelia gives the baby, she passes away anyways. Her mean-spirited grandmother who seems to hate May Amelia for no reason is delighted with this and blames the death on Ma Amelia. She runs away to her family in Astoria and doesn't return to reconcile with her family until after the death of her grandmother. Reading about the death of May Amelia's younger sister struck me deeply in fourth grade. I remember the scene where the grandmother blames May Amelia for the baby's death vividly. As an adult I can now see that the grandmother was emotionally abusing May Amelia and understand the wrongness of the situation, but as a child I didn't understand it any further than "she's mean." The way the grandmother was allowed to emotionally abuse her without more than a scolding from May Amelia's parents is troubling. It might be worth having a discussion on this with a young reader. Conversations about safety with kids aren't simply about physical boundaries, but also include being treated with respect and kindness from adults.