The Misadventures of Maude March [Hardcover]

Audrey Couloumbis (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Maude March

Eleven-year-old Sallie March is a whip-smart tomboy and voracious reader of Western adventure novels. When she and her sister, Maude, are orphaned for the second time, they decide to escape their new self-serving guardians for the wilds of the frontier and an adventure the likes of which Sallie has only read about. This time, however, the wanted woman isn’t a villain out of a dime novel–it’s Sallie’s very own sister!
Narrated by the irrepressible Sallie, what follows is the rollicking story of what really happened out there on the range. Not the lies the papers printed, but the honest-to-goodness truth of how things went from bad to worse and how two very different sisters went from being orphans to being outlaws–and lived to tell the tale! Bursting with memorable characters, fast-paced action, and laugh-out-loud moments, this is Newbery Honor winner Audrey Couloumbis’s most unforgettable work yet.


From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5-8–Sallie March, 11, devotee of dime novels, narrates this rollicking Wild West adventure. The irrepressible tomboy and her ladylike older sister, Maude, have been living in Cedar Rapids with their stern Aunt Ruthie since their parents died. When she is shot dead by a random bullet, Reverend Peasley takes the girls in, but works them like servants. Then grandfatherly Mr. Wilburn proposes to Maude, and it's the last straw. The sisters take two horses and head to Independence, MO, in hopes of finding their uncle. They disguise themselves as boys and begin to live as dime-novel heroes, hooking up with Marion Hardly, aka Joe Harden (the Joe Harden, of the dimer series?), who is also their aunt's killer. Although the girls' intentions are never bad, they end up in the midst of a bank robbery and committing murder. The newspapers are full of news of Mad Maude March, gone crazy with grief. All ends well as they make it to Missouri, where everyone has a reputation anyway. Sallie's narration is delightful, with understatements that are laugh-out-loud hilarious. While this novel at first seems a departure for Couloumbis, there are many similarities to Getting Near to Baby (1999) and Say Yes (2002, both Putnam). Her strong females are memorable, largely due to her perfect pitch in conveying their unique voices. Hard to put down, and a fun read-aloud.–Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
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About the Author

Audrey Couloumbis was born in Illinois. Her first book for children, Getting Near to Baby, won the Newbery Honor in 2000. Couloumbis is also the author of Say Yes (2002), an IRA Children’s Honor Book and a Bulletin Blue Ribbon Award winner. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a housekeeper, a sweater designer, and a school custodian. Today she lives in upstate New York and Florida with her husband, Akilla, and their dog, Phoebe. They have two grown children.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1ST edition (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375832459
• ISBN-13: 978-0375832451
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,703,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heading into the sunset, October 30, 2005

By 

Gwynne C. Spencer (Mancos, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Misadventures of Maude March (Hardcover)

If Louis L'Amour were still alive and if he wrote books for girls, this is perhaps what he'd come up with. It's full of authentic detail, rip-roaring action, personable young heroines, with an enduring respect for books, words, learning and reading. While not quite a Western (it's all East of Independence, MO) it has the elements western-lovers will savor: fast horses, harsh weather, snakes that won't die, sharp-shootin' gals, spunky dialogue, and a "git r done" attitude and an ethically satisfying ending. A great readaloud for middle school, and boys will love it as much as girls. It's like Lemony Snicket on horseback!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!!!, June 6, 2006

By 

Anne M. Schmidling "Book Fanatic" (KS, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Misadventures of Maude March (Library Binding)

This book is a fast paced thriller set up in the old west. When I opened the book and saw the lining that looked like an old newspaper I knew it was gonna be good. Maude is the down to earth sister while all Sally wants is an adventure. This "dimer" is one book I would recommend to anyone! I'd give it 6 stars and I plan on reading it a second time!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Kid's Review, July 2, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Misadventures of Maude March (Hardcover)

This is such a fun book to read! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The story follows two girls, Sallie and Maude March, after their guardian, Aunt Ruthie, is accidentally shot and killed. With no other living kin, the girls set off to look for their long-lost Uncle Arlen, who supposedly lives in Independence, Missouri. They have to brave mountain lions, snowstorms, violent gangs of sharpshooting teenagers, nosey women and much more, all while Maude is being chased for stealing horses! This is a great action-packed adventure that both girls and boys will love!