Missing May # 39

 
1.      Author:  Cynthia Rylant
2.      Title: Missing May
3.      Genre: Juvenile Fiction
4.      Subgenre: Chapter Book
5.      Theme: Death, Grief, West Virginia, and Aunts
6.      Primary and secondary Characters: Summer with Uncle Ob, and Cletus
7.      Awards: Newberry Award Medal
8.      Date of Publication: 1992
9.      Publication Company: Orchard Books
10.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

Summer was in the seventh grade and had lived with her aunt May for the past six years of her life.  She admired her aunt May because of the happy life they lived together and the love they shared, so when her Aunt May suddenly passes her and her Uncle Ob are left to grieve her loss together.  Summer missed her Aunt May and now is contently worry about her Uncle Ob.  One of her classmates Cletus becomes involved when he and Uncle Ob start talking about the spirit world and May coming back.  Summer thought they were crazy and wasn’t sure that she even believed in the spirit world.  Despite her beliefs Uncle Ob, Cletus, and Summer set off to find a medium to see about the return of May.  I would read this to my class to help them understand that people have different beliefs and that it is okay to be friend with people who believe different things than you.  I would also hope for many students to relate to Summer or her Uncle Ob if they are grieving themselves.  This book shows that people deal with things different as well which is also something students need to learn.