Our Only May Amelia
Jennifer L. Holm
© 1999 Harper Trophy/ HarperCollins Publishers

May Amelia Jackson is not a proper young lady. How could she be, with seven older brothers, a love of adventure and a skill for getting into trouble? The fact is: she is the only girl in Washington State’s Nasal River Settlement at the turn of the 20th century! Everyone is urging May Amelia to settle down…and perhaps she will now that there may be a new little sister in the family.

Our Only May Amelia was read by Samantha Anderson.

What do YOU think?

May Amelia was the only girl in the settlement. How did that affect her life? Did it make her life more difficult? How? Did it make her life easier? How?

How did the story make you feel?

How did you feel when the Indian picked up May Amelia? How do you think she felt? If you were May Amelia, what would you have said to the Indian?

Did you have a hard time relating to May Amelia? Why? In what ways are your lives the same? In what ways are they different?

Describe how May Amelia changed during the story. What point was author Jennifer L. Holm trying to make?

Fun & Adventure Beyond the Book

Author Jennifer L. Holm used a number of resources housed at the Pacific County Historical Society in Washington to research her book Our Only May Amelia. Past issues of their quarterly publication, “The Sou’wester,” contain personal memories of pioneering in the Naselle River Valley. One example is Ned Needham’s recollections and photos featured in the Spring 2000 edition.

You can learn more about Holms and other books she's written on her website. And check out Holm's recollection of the time she got to speak to her favorite author – it’s on the Booksense website.

Chinook Jargon, a mixture of Northwest native words with English and French, was crucial to the survival of the first explorers and trappers. A few of the words are still heard in the Northwest today. To learn more about the history of the jargon and access a dictionary of the terms, click here. You can see an actual dictionary, with jpegs of every page, here.

May Amelia often had to make meals for her family. Would you like to try some Finnish food? You’ll find recipes for Raparperikiisseli (rhubarb pudding) and “Kaalikaaryleet (cabbage rolls) and more on the GlobalGourmet site HMMMMMM-delicious!

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