The book “Missing May” was written by Cynthia Rylant, and it shares the story about Summer’s life. When she was young her parents died, and she was rejected by many foster families. Even her extended family believe she is too much. One day, a couple visited, Ob and May, and decided to adopt her. As a family, they went to West Virginia and May and Ob raised her. Sadly, one day May dies in the garden. Ob and Summer, but they still continuously support each other. Ob meets Cletus when Cletus sneaks into May’s empty garden. Overtime Ob and Cletus become good friends. A few months later Cletus reveals that he has talked to his dead grandfather before. Now Ob is fascinated by what Cletus had done, and asks him to help him talk to May once again, but Summer is against this, because she does not believe they can do it. At the end Cletus is unable to talk to May. They try many various ways to speak with May, but they all fail, and they end in despair, without talking to May. In the end, Ob sees it is crucial to keep the friends you have now close.
There are many deaths in the family, like May’s death, and also Summer’s parents death, but that is not all. Death is a normal scenario in life, and everyone dies at one point. Many times we will lose someone as well. Western children’s literature has these concepts so that kids can understand the grief and sorrow people will face. These books are trying to teach us grief, let us understand grief, and how it can help us in hard times. For example when Summer’s mom and dad died, she didn’t know what to do. But now in May's death, she understands how to feel because of the books, like how grief happens, and especially when May was one of the only people who loved her a lot. She also knows how to process what to feel when foster families reject her. Summer is sad in the story because she does not feel part of the families she goes to. Many deaths happen everywhere around you, and happen all the time, but they are all processable.
People are sorrowful and sad everywhere in the world, like Ob who is sad that May died, and that he cannot talk to her ever again. Sorrow is when you are depressed by something, so you lose interest in activities you do, like sports. Like Summer who lost her parents and May, and she lets herself feel the sorrow to face it. Ob has also faced sorrow by losing May, the person he loved, and been with for a long time. He faces losing someone causing sorrow. Even Cletus has been sad and depressed before, because his grandpa died of old age, and his dog had died a few years ago too. He had to face their death. Depression, sorrow, and sadness happens everywhere and every single time, no matter what happens, you are sad, when you lose someone or something.
Family is an important thing in life, because they will always be there for you, no matter where you are or who you are. But in the family, in Missing May they are special, because they have no blood relationship. Blood relationship is an important thing, but when it comes to a time it does not matter, no matter what happens. Family is for love, and caring about members of your family, but when May dies, and Summer is sad, it shows that she loved her so much, even though they have no blood relationships. Ob also cried, and she tried many things, even though they had no blood relationship, he still wanted to talk to her. But even though they accepted that they cannot see May anymore they will never forget her. Summer was also accepted by May, so she was an acceptor, but also she provided care for Ob. Family is an important thing in life, because they appreciate you, and they love you, and accept you as a family member.
The story “Missing May” talks about Summer, who is a girl that was passed on from family to family, because her parents died. Two couples visited and adopted her, they were kind, May died though. Ob and Summer were filled in grief, and Ob tried everything to talk to her once again. There are many deaths in the story, like Summer’s mom and dad, who died, and May who had also died, these people were also the people who loved her the most. People are always sad in the world, no matter when you try to run away you cannot, because grief will come and get you, every time, like Summer who tries to run away, thinking the fact of May being dead, is a lie, but it is not, and at the end she cries. Family is an important thing, like in “Missing May” even though they have no blood relationship, they still love each other, and they will never forget anything. The story “Missing May” is a great story, and is a good, to look at when you are sad, because they have connections in life to the story.
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