The Trouble with May Amelia

By Jennifer L. Holm, 199 pages.

It has been a month of sequels for me, this is the second installment of the May Amelia series. Set in 1900 in Washington State, this story is about a young girl struggling to survive as the only daughter in a family with seven boys. That many brothers will give a girl spunk and that is necessary to deal with farm life, crazy neighbors, taking a boat to get to school, and all the other every day adventures she has to deal with. Everything is not idyllic however, and the family is in danger of losing the farm after May's father falls for a scam -- after utilizing May as a translator. May Amelia is blamed for the loss by her father and must somehow figure out a way to save her family.

I enjoyed 3/4ths of this book and was reminded of my childhood when I couldn't get enough of early American historical fiction. I felt true fury at May's father (and almost flung the book across the room) and laughed out loud at many of the funny parts. I wish a bit more thought was given to the ending, everything goes from being horrid to 'all ok' in just a few pages, but overall a great book for kids who are fans of historical fiction.