MMGM: A Slip of a Girl

I picked this book up from the library’s new reads shelf for one reason: the author. I have enjoyed everything I’ve read by Patricia Giff, especially Lily’s Crossing, one of my favorite MG historicals of all time. 

I usually prefer traditional novels over novels-in-verse, maybe because I like to really get immersed in what I read. But in this case,  the sparse poetry really added to the emotional resonance of this book.  And how can you not think of the Irish without thinking of music and poetry?

Like me, you’ll find yourself rooting for this girl who’s trying to carve a place for herself during the Irish Land War.

Synopsis from Amazon:

A heart-wrenching novel in verse about a poor girl surviving the Irish Land Wars, by a two-time Newbery Honor-winning author.

For Anna, the family farm has always been home... But now, things are changing.

Anna's mother has died, and her older siblings have emigrated, leaving Anna and her father to care for a young sister with special needs. And though their family has worked this land for years, they're in danger of losing it as poor crop yields leave them without money to pay their rent.

When a violent encounter with the Lord's rent collector results in Anna and her father's arrest, all seems lost. But Anna sees her chance and bolts from the jailhouse. On the run, Anna must rely on her own inner strength to protect her sister--and try to find a way to save her family.

Written in verse, A Slip of a Girl is a poignant story of adversity, resilience, and self-determination by a master of historical fiction, painting a haunting history of the tensions in the Irish countryside of the early 1890s, and the aftermath of the Great Famine.

A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

What to Love:

1.  Anna is a feisty heroine who is brave beyond her years in standing up to land agent’s and fighting for her her family. I felt for her from the first page, where the author did such a great job of establishing the close ties Anna has with her mother, who dies early in the book.

2.  Anna’s sister has a disability (though it’s never clearly stated), and I particularly liked how protective Anna was of Nuala. And (spoiler alert)—it was touching how Nuala finally found her home.

3. The author has a personal connection to this story. She was inspired to write it based on her great-grandmother, who took part in the Irish Land War. I enjoyed hearing how Giff visited her great-grandmother’s house in Ireland in the author’s note.

4. Real photos from the time are included between the poems. This made it feel like you were reading a memoir rather than fiction.

If you love MG historical fiction or novels-in-verse, you will love this book!

What historical fiction have you enjoyed recently?

For more MMGM reads, please check out Greg Pattridge's Always in the Middle blog.

MMGM: May B

I suppose I’m the last person in the world to read this wonderful book. Although I heard good things about it and heard it compared to Little House, I stayed away. I think it’s because it was a novel-in-verse.

I can’t explain why I’ve been afraid to pick up a novel-in-verse. Maybe it’s because I didn’t like the only one I’ve read so far.

But I'm so glad I got past my prejudice and picked up May B.  I am now on the look out for more novels-in-verse like it.

Synopsis:

 May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, 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 readers a strong new heroine to love.

 What I loved:

1. Survival! I am a sucker for survival stories, which is probably why I loved Little House series so much as a kid. Starr gets her details right and pulls us into life on the prairie. I felt for May B. and her desperation to survive.
2. Dyslexia As Starr says in her author’s notes, she was interested in exploring how a person with learning challenges would manage in pioneer times. This was one of the most fascinating parts of the book for me. I've taught many students with dyslexia, and I am always pleased to see books which feature characters like this. I think many kids can relate to May's struggles in this area.
3. Character’s wants There were so many things that made May B compelling, but in addition to the dyslexia,it was her (a seemingly) impossible goal of being a teacher. Not only did she have to fight her own obstacles in learning to read, but others' expectations as well. This is a character-driven novel with almost only one character--an amazing feat in itself.
4. The poems Despite my reticence to read a novel-in-verse, this is another one where I can’t imagine it any other way. It would’ve been difficult to read about May's long stretch of solitude in prose. Starr made an excellent choice here.

Despite these highlights, I don’t feel like my words do this book justice. This is one of those books that I’ll be thinking on for a long time, a classic, so full of heart.

Have you read any great novels-in-verse?





To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog.