Missing May

Module 4 - February 8-14

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

Summary:
Summer finally found a family with her aunt and uncle after the death of her mother. However six years later, Summer faces death again with the passing of her beloved Aunt May. The death of May leaves behind a broken family as Summer and her Uncle struggle to resume their routines without her. Summer, Uncle Ob, and a young friend, Cletus, begin on a journey in which they hope to find a sign from May that will ease their loss and sadness.

Thoughts of a Book Worm:
This is a very touching story of how a family has to restructure after the death of a loved one. I enjoyed the visual images that the author gives the reader of the characters and the setting in which they live. I also appreciated the fact that this story depicts a very non-traditional family. I think that many children can relate to characters that do not necessarily fit the clichéd image of a family.

Reviews:
"This is one of the best books of 1992. When 12-year-old Summer's Aunt May dies, her Uncle Ob's grieving leaves the girl worried that she will lose him too unless she can give him a reason for living. Enter Cletus, a classmate of Summer's, weird according to Summer, but full of ideas and confidence. The 3 go on a trek to find May's spirit and in the process find inner strength in their friendship. What makes this book so memorable in Rylant's writing. In 89 pages, she paints vivid word pictures of the characters and gives us an intimate view of Summer and her deepest feeling for May and Ob that lasts long after the book is closed." 1993 - Children's Literature

"Gr 5-8-- They've been a family for half of Summer's 12 years, and when her Aunt May dies, a little bit of Summer and her uncle Ob dies too--and his whirligigs go ``still as night.'' Ob's 'gigs are his ``mysteries,'' works of art that capture the essence of Storms, Heaven, Fire, Love, Dreams . . . and May. For a time, he seems to be failing, and Summer fears she'll lose him, as well. Then he claims to have been visited by May's spirit. And, stranger still to Summer, he takes a liking to that ``flat out lunatic,'' Cletus Underwood. Lunatic or no, Cletus steps unhesitatingly into the space May has left, and all three take off on a journey in search of May. It's an ill - fated journey that, nevertheless, lets Ob and Summer turn a corner in their grieving--and sets Ob free. With homely detail, Rylant plunges readers into the middle of Summer's world, creating characters certain to live long in their memories. Her tightly woven plot wastes no words; May's death and the course of her husband and niece's grieving are both reflected in and illuminated by the state of Ob's mysteries and the course of that interrupted journey of discovery. There is much to ponder here, from the meaning of life and death to the power of love. That it all succeeds is a tribute to a fine writer who brings to the task a natural grace of language, an earthly sense of humor, and a well-grounded sense of the spiritual." Reviewer: Marcia Hupp - School Library Journal

Suggested Activities:
This book is best suited for students in grades 5-8. This book is very descriptive about the characters and the details of the way that they live. Students can use these details to create a collage that would help Summer and Ob to remember their days with May.

Students can also springboard off of Cletus's hobby and create stories from pictures. Students can look through a variety of magazines and pick a picture that intrigues them. They will then write the story that they feel the picture is telling.

Bibliography:
Rylant, C. (1992). Missing may. New York: Orchard Books.