The Misadventures of Maude March [Paperback]

Audrey Couloumbis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2007 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 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 escape their self-serving guardians for the wilds of the frontier, they begin an adventure the likes of which Sallie has only read about. This time however, the "wanted woman" isn't a dime-novel villian, it's Sallie's very own sister! What follows is not the lies the papers printed, but the honest-to-goodness truth of how two sisters went from being orphans to being outlaws—and lived to tell the tale!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–This Wild West tale opens with Sallie March, 11, and her 15-year-old sister Maud living with Aunt Ruthie since the death of their mother. Maude is ladylike and proper, while Sallie fantasizes about the adventures in the dime novels she devours. When Aunt Ruthie is killed by a random bullet, the girls have problems with their new guardians. Having few other options, they set out on their own to find their uncle in Missouri. After a series of misunderstandings and more random incidents, the sisters find themselves on the wrong side of the law involved in robbery and murder, with Maude being written up in the papers as Mad Maude who has gone crazy with grief. Told from Sallie's perspective, Audrey Couloumbis's novel (Random, 2005) is a rollicking adventure like few others. Narrator Lee Adams draws listeners in with her realistic tone of voice and slow manner of speaking. Sallie is clearly conveyed as spunky and smart, and Maude's moody temperament is made apparent through pitch and subtle inflections. While not fully voiced, listeners will have no trouble tracking the characters. This audio journey through the Wild West is not to be missed.–Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

Audrey Couloumbis's first book for children, Getting Near to Baby, won the Newbery Honor in 2000. She lives in upstate New York and Florida with her husband, Akila, and their dog, Phoebe. They have two grown children.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (January 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375832475
• ISBN-13: 978-0375832475
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,074 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!