May B by Caroline Starr Rose

Hi everyone, this week’s selection is a novel in verse set during a period of time where hardships and many trials had to be endured, especially by young children. If that has piqued your interest, why not press the button below to find out more…

Title: May B: a novel

Author: Caroline Starr Rose

Genre: Fiction – historical (in verse)

Publication details: Schwartz & Wade Books; NY, 2012

ISBN: 9781582463933 (Hardcover)

What this book is about: May is helping out on a neighbour’s Kansas prairie homestead for a short time until Christmas. She wants to contribute, but it’s hard to be separated from her family by fifteen long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbours, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May’s memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she’s determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose’s fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives young readers a strong new heroine to love. 

My review: Told entirely in free verse, this story takes readers back to those pioneering years on the frontier land in America. Reminiscent of Little House in the prairie, life in a small house is described in exquisite details. Touching on issues of servitude, dyslexia and families struggling to make ends meet, this story captivates you from beginning to end. The concept of verse, although moves the story faster, also brings another depth to the story. May is quite the character too. A good read!! 

My rating: 4 ⭐

Additional notes: This title was nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award in 2016 and the Vermont Golden Dome Book Award in 2014.