Our Only May Amelia

Reach for this book when your child is feeling stifled by gender expectations or struggling to find their place within a large, loud family. It is a perfect fit for the 'tomboy' who feels more at home in the woods than in a parlor, or for any child who feels like the odd one out among their siblings. Set in the rugged wilderness of 1890s Washington state, the story follows May Amelia as she navigates the transition from childhood to adolescence while pushing back against her father's rigid views of what a girl should be. While the tone is often adventurous and humorous, the book also handles significant emotional weight, including the loss of a loved one and the complexities of cultural identity in an immigrant household. It is ideal for middle-grade readers (ages 8-12) who are ready for a historical narrative that feels gritty and real rather than sanitized. Parents will appreciate the way it validates a child's need for autonomy and the realistic, if sometimes difficult, depiction of family bonds.