Missing May facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Cynthia Rylant |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Orchard Books |
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Publication date
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1992 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 98 |
| ISBN | 0-531-05996-0 |
| OCLC | 24066732 |
| LC Class | PZ7.R982 Mj 1992 |
Missing May is a touching children's book. It won the important Newbery Medal in 1993. The book was written by Cynthia Rylant. She is a famous author who has written more than 100 books for kids. One of her other books is The Islander.
Story of Missing May
The story of Missing May takes place in West Virginia today. The main character is a young girl named Summer. She is an orphan and has lived with many different relatives. These relatives did not really care for her.
When Summer is six years old, she meets her Aunt May and Uncle Ob. This kind old couple notices that Summer is ignored. They decide to take Summer to live with them. Their home is a small, old trailer in the Appalachian mountains. Summer feels happy and loved there. She finally has a real home.
Six years later, Aunt May suddenly dies. She passes away while working in her garden. Summer is very sad and must deal with her own grief. She also worries a lot about Uncle Ob. He is heartbroken and feels lost without his wife.
Uncle Ob believes May's spirit is trying to talk to him. He decides to try and contact her. A classmate of Summer's, Cletus Underwood, helps him. Cletus tells them about a famous person who can talk to spirits. Summer is not sure about this idea. But she wants to help her uncle feel better.
The three of them go on a road trip to meet this person. When they arrive, they learn that the spirit medium has also recently died. Uncle Ob is very sad at first. Summer fears this news will make him give up on life.
However, on the way home, Uncle Ob suddenly feels better. He decides to keep living for Summer's sake. He realizes that he still has Summer, and that is enough.
Main Characters
- Summer: She is the main character and tells the story. Summer became an orphan when she was a baby. She moved from one relative to another. Finally, her Aunt May and Uncle Ob took her in. They gave her a happy, loving home. Summer is very upset when May dies. She worries even more about Uncle Ob.
- Uncle Ob: He is Summer's uncle and May's husband. After May dies, he becomes very depressed. Summer fears he has lost his will to live. He later believes May's spirit is visiting them. He tries to find a way to talk to her. Uncle Ob is a skilled artist. He has carved many whirligigs over the years.
- Cletus: He is a classmate of Summer's. People at school think he is a bit strange. He meets Uncle Ob by chance after May dies. They quickly become good friends. Summer does not like Cletus much at first. But she lets him stay because Ob enjoys his company. Over time, she starts to like him more. Cletus says he had a near-death experience as a child. This gives Uncle Ob hope that he can talk to May's spirit.
