Caroline Starr RoseReseñas

Why isn't there a movie or TV series about this story?!

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 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.

Totally engaging story about the race to be the first women to travel around the world in 75 days. When Nellie Bly first proposed the challenge, she was turned down because she was a woman. She proposed that a man start at the same time, and she would still beat him. Little did Nellie know that her competitor would be Elizabeth Bisland. Nellie leaving from New Jersey and Elizabeth leaving from New York. What follows is an engaging account of their travels by sea and by land to see who could travel the globe the fastest.

Not uplifting. Not worth shelf space.

Gorgeous and lyrical

I liked it -- as a gold rush kid's adventure goes, there's a lot of really solid history in here. I thought the level of disinterest most people displayed to the two boys was pretty accurate, and I appreciated the subliminal messaging that you make more from laundry than you do from panning for gold in gold rush times. I'm not sure I believe that the boys would have made it so far without dying from exposure, and I didn't really understand Frank Hazard's interest in Jasper, so the final plot points didn't do much for me. Still, it's a good kids adventure, with bonus points for being well rooted in particular places and time. Oh, and I liked that they started out from Kirkland, too.

This was a good solid middle grade story about a girl named May during the early settlers time of Kansas where homes are few and far apart and children start work early. To help bring more money to her family, May is sent to live with a newly married couple to help with things like cooking and cleaning just until Christmas. May does not want to be sent away from home, but she has no choice. It is August when she arrives. The new bride is not happy about being there and is homesick. One day sometime in August, the new bride runs away and the husband goes out to find her. May is left alone. May waits and tries to continue caring for the home, but hours turns into days, days turns to weeks, and weeks turns to months. During this time, she is struggling to survive with what she has as well as trying to keep up with her schooling as she is dyslexic and has difficulties reading. It truly amazes me what kids were capable of back then. I don't think many children would know how to care for themselves in this way. This was a super quick read and it is written in verse. I read the entire thing in just a couple of hours.

I enjoyed this pioneer story of twelve-year-old May, struggling to survive on her own on the prairies. I also liked her flashbacks at school where she battled with learning difficulties, they made her more relatable and interesting, and showed her resilience and strength of character. May's voice was compelling and I think many readers would identify with her.

Written in verse "May B" was a quick, lyrical read which finished with a sense of hope.½

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 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.

In this historical tale, 2 female journalists race around the world from New York , taking ships and trains in a time when these modes of transportation were transforming the lifestyles of human beings. A great story of early feminist triumphs told in simple terms that young readers can understand ad relate to. The illustrations were cheerful and had a historically accurate color palette, but they were a bit 'digital' or 'Disney'. One star off for that.

Nellie Bly is a reporter who is determined to beat a previous record of traveling around the world. Once she convinces her boss that she can beat the record, she begins her journey. Little did she know another reporter was given an assignment to beat Nellie. Elizabeth Bisland began her journey around the world. A little over seventy-two days later, Nellie Bly beat her own goal of seventy-five days.

It’s Kansas in the days of horse-drawn wagons and houses made of sod. Mavis Betterly, otherwise known as May B., must go live with the newlywed neighbors and help them keep house. The problem is that the neighbors are fifteen miles away, and May doesn’t want to go. She wants to stay home and continue to improve her reading, a subject she finds very difficult. May goes, only slightly comforted to know that her father will come back right before Christmas to bring her home.

But with months left to stay, the wife leaves, and the husband goes after her. After several days, May realizes they aren’t coming back. She finds herself alone in the house, with wolves out on the prairie, a limited supply of food and firewood, no idea which way is home, and winter fast approaching.

Can May B. survive? Will she believe the people from her past who have told her she’s no good, or will she decide for herself what she’s capable of?

This novel is told in unrhymed verse and moves very quickly. If you like historical fiction and stories of strong, determined kids, spend an afternoon with May B.

I fell in love with May; her determination, strength, and courage are characteristics of a hero anyone would root for. I was so proud of her throughout her whole adventure.

I roared through this book in two sittings. It is beautifully written - and completely in verse!! I usually dislike narratives in verse, but May B crossed over into being liked by all readers.

I read this with my girls book group, aged 9-13, and they all really enjoyed reading it. They empathized with May B - her challenges at the school, her isolation, and her overall journey.

An excellent read, recommended for everyone.

Animal families in the Bayou prepare for an impending storm.

Excellent. Just excellent.

A historical fiction novel that is a very easy book to get into. A story of a girl that lives on the prairie and ends up on her own and having to survive.

In a verse novel, told through the intertwined narratives of a young English girl and a Native American girl, Rose captures the truism that friendship bridges cultural divides. The two girls in the Roanoke colony during the 16th century don't speak the same language but through gestures and kindness, they overcome fear of the unknown (one another).

A swift, sweet read -- a middle-grade novel in verse. Grab this if you loved "On The Banks of Plum Creek."

The story of Mavis (May B) who goes to be a companion (actually a maid) for a young wife who does NOT want to be living on the prairie in a sod house in the later 1800s. If you enjoyed Laura Ingalls Wilder's books, you will probably enjoy this. The book looks fairly thick, but the story is written in verse format and does not take nearly as long to read as one might expect. This looks like a fairly common occurrence for many new books. I wonder if they think they will sell more copies if the book is thick or if the authors really are writing them in this particular format.

I guess I do need to say that the blurb for the book is what enticed me to read it, NOT the cover. If I saw that cover at a public library, I would probably pass on it.

Fans of the Little House on the Prairie Books would like this book. Would you be able to survive if you were left on your own in a soddy house on the prairie? Shows how tough you can be when you need to survive.

#Bookaday. Wow, wow, wow. Loved this one. Written in strong, descriptive verse, this is the story of a girl abandoned on the prairie, who must survive loneliness and deprivation and the memory of her failures at school. A perfect companion to "The Long Winter."

Caroline Starr Rose is
A Laura Ingalls Wilder
Who traded her prose
For poetry
But she did not
Go awry.

She is an apple
That did not fall
Far from the tree.

May is helping out on a neighbor's homestead - just until Christmas, her pa promises. But when a terrible turn of events leaves her all alone, she must try to find food and fuel - and courage - to make it through the approaching winter.

A girl that struggles with dyslexia finds herself in need and alone. This verse novel follows May throughout her trails. Written in first person, this novel can be used as an introduction to poetry for elementary school students or as an evaluation to see how much students know about poetry.