Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm

May Amelia Jackson is growing up in the wilderness of Washington State in 1899. Her family is Finnish, one of many who emigrated to the area. She is the youngest child with seven older brothers and the only girl in the area. So, acting ladylike is not something that comes naturally to her. At age 12, she struggles against the restrictions placed on her to act like a lady, and she vigorously experiences life. The descriptions of life in a pioneer farm settlement from the logs rushing down the Nasell River to the day to day backbreaking work routines transport the reader back to another time. The audiobook, read in a suitably childlike voice by Emmy Rossum, captures the spirit of May Amelia. An author's note explains that May Amelia was based on her Great Aunt Alice. When Holm found her diary, she was inspired to bring her story to life. A Newbery Honor Book (Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm. Random House Audio, 1999.)