To March

by Emily Dickinson

 

Dear March, come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat —
You must have walked —
How out of breath you are!
Dear March, how are you?
And the rest?
Did you leave Nature well?
Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,
I have so much to tell!

I got your letter, and the birds’;
The maples never knew
That you were coming, — I declare,
How red their faces grew!
But, March, forgive me —
And all those hills
You left for me to hue;
There was no purple suitable,
You took it all with you.

Who knocks? That April!
Lock the door!
I will not be pursued!
He stayed away a year, to call
When I am occupied.
But trifles look so trivial
As soon as you have come,
That blame is just as dear as praise
And praise as mere as blame.

 

 Spring Begins in March

by Jean Little 

This sequel to MINE FOR KEEPS focuses on Meg, Sally’s younger sister. Meg Copeland was the «family clown,» the youngest child in a large, happy, basically well-run family, and it’s very well revealed here just how miserable a child in such a secure situation can be. She’s bright, imaginative, and lively, but she has a special knack for doing the wrong thing and running into trouble. She often feels left out and confused and does badly at school, until her parents give her a dog.

Genres:FictionChildrensCanadaYoung Adult

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April! April! Are You Here?

by Dora Read Goodale

April! April! are you here?
Oh, how fresh the wind is blowing!
See! the sky is bright and clear,
Oh, how green the grass is growing!
April! April! are you here?

April! April! is it you?
See how fair the flowers are springing!
Sun is warm and brooks are clear,
Oh, how glad the birds are singing!
April! April! is it you?

April! April! you are here!
Though your smiling turn to weeping,
Though your skies grow cold and drear,
Though your gentle winds are sleeping,
April! April! you are here!

 

  April’s Kittens

by Clare Turlay Newberry

 

Since it was first published over fifty years ago, April’s Kittens remains a classic cat story and is now made available again in this handsome new edition. Many children understand April’s dilemma when her cat, Sheba, has three kittens. April is thrilled until her father insists that theirs is strickly a one-cat household. April must give up three cats, but which ones? The aptly named Charcoal? Tiger-striped Butch? Sweet-faced Brenda? — or even Sheba? How April eventually comes up with the perfect solutions makes for a heartwarming story that has appealed to many young cat lovers and will continue to delight generations of children everywhere. Clare’s Newberry’s enchanting illustrations reflect her fondness for cats; School Library Journal deemed these «beautiful drawings, so real one wants to pet them.»

Genres: Picture BooksCatsChildrensAnimalsFictionFamilyKids

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May

by Christina Rossetti

I cannot tell you how it was,
But this I know: it came to pass
Upon a bright and sunny day
When May was young; ah, pleasant May!
As yet the poppies were not born
Between the blades of tender corn;
The last egg had not hatched as yet,
Nor any bird foregone its mate.

I cannot tell you what it was,
But this I know: it did but pass.
It passed away with sunny May,
Like all sweet things it passed away,
And left me old, and cold, and gray.

 

Our Only May Amelia

by Jennifer L. Holm

It isn′t easy being a pioneer in the state of Washington in 1899, but it′s particularly hard when you are the only girl ever born in the new settlement. With seven older brothers and a love of adventure, May Amelia Jackson just can′t seem to abide her family′s insistence that she behave like a Proper Young Lady. She′s sure she could do better if only there were at least one other girl living along the banks of the Nasel River. And now that Mama′s going to have a baby, maybe there′s hope.Inspired by the diaries of her great-aunt, the real May Amelia, first-time novelist Jennifer Holm has given us a beautifully crafted tale of one young girl whose unique spirit captures the courage, humour, passion and depth of the American pioneer experience.

∗Newbery Honour Book (USA), 2000

Ages 10+  Genres: Historical FictionMiddle GradeFictionChildrensYoung AdultHistoricalJuvenile