Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
Winner, 1993 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
Twelve-year-old Summer and her Uncle Ob grieve after the sudden death of Aunt May in West Virginia.
Favorite Quote
She tried to get me to drink a glass of milk, couldn't get over a girl my age loving coffee so much. But Cletus told her that coffee had made me tough, and besides that all writers needed something to see them through those long novels, and better it was coffee than Jim Beam whiskey.
About the Author
Cynthia Rylant grew up in a coal mining family in West Virginia. She is the author of more than 100 books for children, many of which are set in the Appalachian region.
My Project
For the background, I cut out numerous purple and blue flower shapes from a magazine. Summer's classmate Cletus collects magazines and catalogs, so I wanted to use that same type of material as part of the piece. I added vinyl silhouettes of the vegetable garden where Aunt May died and owl's wing (in front of a full moon). An owl plays a key role at the end of the book.
On a serendipitous note, after I finished this piece, I found this blog post on The 5 colors of grief which noted that purple is the stage of denial, blue is bargaining, and black is depression.
Final Thoughts
This book contained some playful language and descriptions with quirky characters. It reminded me a little of the later Newbery award winner The Higher Power of Lucky in that both protagonists were grieving for the sudden deaths of their mothers (or mother figures), lived in trailer homes in poor, small towns, and had a close male friend their own age.
Your Turn
If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.