Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, I was unable to get into it. I will not be posting a review to Goodreads so as to not skew the numbers. Thanks again!

Eleven-year-old Elsie Mae lives for her summers spent with her grandparents on Honey Island in the Okefenokee Swamp—so when the swamp is threatened by a developer, she decides to do something to save the most beautiful place on Earth.

Elsie Mae is so focused on making a name for herself that she neglects to consider how her actions will affect those around her. She seems to create more problems than she solves. Is this the fall her cousin warned would follow her pride? Or are the complications really just blessings in disguise? Gators, huckleberry pie, and sweet tea on the porch are all part of the swamper way of life. Elsie Mae is spunky, headstrong, and kind, but she also has moments of jealousy and recklessness. The mystery surrounding the hog thefts falls flat, but the distinctive setting, the intriguing characters, and the glimpse at a culture that is unfamiliar to most are enough to carry it through.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

When I was younger and truly in the YA range I yearned for books like this. I always felt like they talked down (aside from Judy Blume) and just were not for me.

I would have been running to the card catalog (dating myself there) to learn more about Okefenokee Swamp and how it came to be considered a National Wildlife Refuge.

Elsie Mae may be one of my favorite historical fiction characters in a long time and that is saying a lot. She is the youngest of seven and gets to spend summers without ANY siblings and with her grandparents who live in Okefenokee Swamp and are 'swampers". The main premise of the book is the letter Else Mae write to President Roosevelt hoping to save her beloved swamp from being broken up by a canal. The book is so much more. It is watching a young eleven year old girl learn that life isn't always what you expect and that sometimes you have to fight hard for what you believe in even when others do not. .

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC (even if it is being reviewed a bit late!)

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Elsie Mae loves spending the summers with her grandparents in the Okefenokee Swamp. When she hears that a company wants to build a canal through the swamp and ruin the swamp, Elsie Mae writes a letter to president Franklin Roosevelt asking him to save the swamp. She has many adventures this summer at the swamp with several unexpected surprises. There are hog thieves, dogs, gators and boats and her son of a preacher cousin, Henry James. Can they catch the hog thieves and save the swamp? This is a fabulously fun to read middle grade historical fiction book that I highly recommend!

I was given an Advance Reading Copy of this book. It stared off interesting however around the middle of the book I lost interest. It just seemed like it was a little long. As a middle school teacher I could see how this book could be good when explaining about conserving our resources and businesses should be careful but again it was a lot longer than what it needed it be, I will use tidbits for my classroom.

As the youngest of seven kids, Elsie Mae loves spending summers with her grandparents in Okenfenokee Swamp. She gets lots of time to herself and she loves the swamp. That is why she wrote a letter to President Roosevelt to save the swamp from a canal project. A big company wants to build a canal through Okenfenokee Swamp and destroy what makes it so special to the people who live there.

This summer is a bit different from other summers on the swamp. The best thing is that Uncle Owen gets Elsie Mae a dog of her very own. Huck doesn’t make much noise but he is perfect in Elsie’s eyes. The worst thing is that Elsie isn’t the only kid staying for the summer. Her cousin Henry’s parents are on a preaching circuit in Florida and sent Henry to stay in Okenfenokee for the summer. Henry wants to be a preacher just like his pa and spends most of the summer practicing. The other thing that makes the summer different is the hog bandits who are stealing people’s hogs all over the swamp. Uncle Lorne wants to be the hero and capture the hog bandits, but it is really Elsie Mae and Henry who discover what is really going on.

This is a quirky, Southern story. I love the swamp setting and all the information about the Okenfenokee Swamp. I thought Elsie Mae was a fantastic character with a lot of gumption and heart. This could be a bit of a depressing story what with Henry’s parental abandonment and Uncle Lorne’s behavior and Huck’s ownership issues, but it wasn’t. It was uplifting and heart-warming. It is a story about family and acceptance and finding your place.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

I thought this was a great story filled with family, friends and adventure that kept me interested and wanting to read more.

This is an adorable, 7-11 kids read. It's got dogs, bandits, a swamp, boats, simple politics and a loving Grandma and Grandpa in it. Very perfect for little girls or boys. I would recommend it as a read to them story, in case they have questions, but it's mostly fun with a good morale at the end.

It is however, due to the setting at the Okefenokee Swamp and the 'swamp people' lifestyle, filled with a fair bit of religion. Interestingly however the lead gal isn't convinced by God at first; but without a doubt she is quite convinced of God in the end. It's not a bad thing; just something to be aware of if that sort of thing bugs you.

I think Nancy J. Cavanaugh really captured the spirit and joy of our lead gal, Elsie Mae. As the youngest of seven it's very obvious that Elsie Mae adores her summers (alone) with Grandma and Grandpa because she is the star. I think many youngest siblings could find a real connection with Elsie Mae and her want to be a hero to the swamp residents.
Alternatively the little boy we meet is a quieter, preachers kid who is clearly troubled by many things. I felt for Henry because he clearly felt unwanted through most of the book. Certainly an emotion I remember as a child and I'm sure most kids have felt this way at some point.

There are some tougher topics in Elsie Mae Has Something to Say; from abandonment, prison, adults who don't measure up and some dangerous choices the kids make; I feel there is a lot of content here that would engage kids to ask their parents questions. If you read to your little one you might want to read this through first to be prepared for some of those questions. In particular I didn't like how the kids doing something dangerous resulted in them being rewarded just because it turned out okay. What if it hadn't? This is the one theme I had trouble with and why I can't quite give it 5 stars.

Overall this adorable little (partially true) story about saving the Okefenokee swamp is worth the quick read if you're intrigued as an adult or teen. And certainly in my top 5 for age 7-11 good books picks for 2017.

Elsie Mae Has Something To Say is a book that touches the heart of all its readers. It is packed with adventure, family, love, friendship, and a little mystery. It reminds me of A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way From Chicago.
This book will be a favorite of middle school readers because it is a story about a little girl in a setting that few middle schoolers have ever visited and are only exposed to it through television shows like Swamp People. The Okefenokee Swamp is filled with gators and quick sand, but it is also filled with Elsie Mae’s family, swamp traditions and culture. The swamp offers adventures that are only possible in its murky, still waters. Children will relate to the possibility of Okefenokee Swamp being destroyed for a shipping company to build a canal because they are bombarded with scenarios like this in today’s news. They will cheer for Elise Mae as she fights to save a place she loves and treasures. Elsie Mae is a heroine and proves even children can make a difference in the world.
Readers will also fall in love with the characters. The perspective of Elsie Mae allows the reader to view the characters through the eyes of a young girl. All readers will be able to relate to Elsie Mae when she thinks that her summer will be ruined when cousin Henry James comes to stay in the swamp. Of course the adults love him because he is such a sweet Bible quoting want-to-be preacher, but Elsie Mae sees none of that. She only finds him annoying, as will the readers. Everyone has had a cousin Henry James! Huck, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Owen and Uncle Lone will also find very special places in the reader’s heart.

Elsie Mae Has Something To Say can be a great teaching tool in the ELA classroom. It can be used in activities about:
character traits
reader’s opinion of characters changing throughout a book
environmental awareness
letter writing
dialect in dialogue
I also think a great writing activity might be to have students write additional chapters about Elsie Mae, Henry, and Huck in the Okefenokee Swamp.

Nice, strong female character! I like Elsie Mae she's a real go-getter kind of girl. She sees a wrong and doesn't wait for others to fix it, she tackles it herself. And none of the clueless or uncaring folks at the bottom either- she goes straight to the top- The President of the US! grade school kids are going to be cheering this young lady on and maybe even being inspired to do something themselves. Good story!

Elsie is a pretty standard example of the rough and tumble heroine, girls who would rather wander in nature and play with animals than be "proper" and "lady-like". This novel would sit nicely in a display with The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate or even To Kill a Mockingbird though it is somewhat less charming. All of the plot threads try to interweave into a cohesive fabric but instead become tangled up and confused. Each plot is a bit thin on supporing details. It's a decent way to explore a lesser known bit of history. Additionally, it's a quick and relatively engaging read with a spunky heroine.

This might be my new favorite book.

Okay, so favorite book is more of an entire bookshelf than, like, one title, but seriously. Elsie Mae Has Something to Say blew me away.

I immediately fell in love with the earthy swamp folk and the relationship they have with the Okefenokee Swamp. Elsie’s the kind of character who takes you along with her, sharing her big vision for catching the hog thieves and saving the swamp. I loved watching the development of her relationship with other characters, especially Henry James. At first, she resents him taking up space in her summer, but she comes to value him as a friend and confidant. It reminded me a lot of the kind of relationship Scout and Dell had in To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Deep South setting comes through the page so rich and vibrantly you’d almost feel like you can hear the buzz of mosquitos and the slosh of the water. Every dinner scene made me crave good southern food and long for the combination of sweet tea on a hot afternoon.

If you like southern fiction, you seriously need to put this book on your list. There’s definitely a strong Christian theme running through the book, but it’s much more the way Peace Like a River has that sense of spiritualism but without any preachiness. It felt very genuine and personal to the characters.

Fans of Three Times Lucky or A Snicker of Magic need to get a copy of this book quick. It’s technically a middle grade book, but just like Three Times Lucky, I think it has huge crossover appeal to other age groups. Check it out and let me know how much you like it!

Nancy J. Cavanaugh’s Elsie Mae Has Something to Say is strong MG mystery

ELSIE MAE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY, by Nancy J. Cavanaugh, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Sept. 5, 2017, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)

What would you do if your parents sent you to your grandparents every summer? In the case of Elsie Mae in Elsie Mae Has Something to Say you’d rejoice.

Elsie Mae is the youngest of seven siblings so getting to explore the cool, quiet waters of the Okefenokee Swamp around her grandparents’ house sans siblings is paradise. Elsie Mae doesn’t mind that there are only her grandparents and her two uncles to keep her company. She’d live in the swamp year round if she could. In fact, she plans to do just that when she grows up.

Elsie can’t wait to get back to the swamp, but this year is different. There are changes coming. A shipping company wants to use the swamp, ruining it for its inhabitants. Elsie has a plan though. She’s written a letter to President Roosevelt and is pretty sure he’ll fix things.

When she arrives on her grandparents’ island, there’s another surprise waiting for Elsie — her very own dog, Huck. With Huck’s help, Elsie thinks she may be able to solve the problem of hog bandits stealing from swamper families. Finally, she thinks, she can make her family proud.

Just when it seems like Elsie Mae has everything figured out, her cousin Henry James shows up. Henry James dreams of one day becoming a traveling preacher like his daddy, which is fine and all, but Elsie Mae has no time to sit and listen to his preaching. When things go south during her investigation, though, Elsie Mae learns she may just be grateful for her cousin’s prayers.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of Elsie Mae Has Something to Say. The dialect took some getting used to, and quite honestly, I wasn’t super in love with Henry James and all his preaching. There are only so many “hallelujahs” and “Lord have mercies” a person can take. But as the novel moved forward both of those issues slipped into the background.

Soon, what stood out was Elsie Mae’s courage and inquisitiveness. Her spunky nature and love of the swamp make her an endearing character. Once you start to get to know Henry James, you realize his zeal isn’t so much copycatting other preachers but guileless faith. He’s not necessarily trying to “preach” but rather share his love of the Lord. His brand of religion may not be my cup of tea, but author Nancy J. Cavanaugh presents it in such an honest way, it’s hard not to appreciate.

The star of Elsie May Has Something to Say has to be the Okefenokee Swamp. Learning about the swamp way of life was fascinating, as was the atmosphere it provides throughout. Elsie Mae Has Something to Say is a strong mystery full of Southern charm.

Elsie Mae is the youngest of 7 and gets to spend every summer with her grandparents on an island in the Okefenokee Swamp. She is spunky, adventurous and cares so deeply for her family and the swamp. Great book! Will totally be adding it to my library!

Firecracker Elsie Mae is determined to solve the mystery of the hog thieves. Readers will love this plucky young girl and southern charms of her family.

While I'm not religious, I enjoyed the snapshot of swamp life that the author provided. I loved the characterization and how stubborn and rebellious Elsie Mae was. I think the story also conveyed the fact that preachers can be swindlers. Anyhow, religiosity isn't even necessarily what I ought to be reviewing here. I basically just loved Elsie's strong voice and how she wanted to do something meaningful and get attention for it. In the end though, she realizes that's not the most important thing. Although it is satisfying that she does get some positive feedback from the adults in her life. The most meaningful thing in the story are the relationships and how they grow.

A wonderful story about friendship and family. Not only would I recommend this to any middle grader, many adults will enjoy the story within.

I received this copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

This was a book that I know I would have loved in middle school. Even now as an adult I still enjoyed it.
Elsie Mae is one of those characters that I was expecting to be a little annoying when we first met her, but once she gets to her grandparent's place and really gets to be the star of the show for a change, we start to see who she really could be as she gets older. With so many siblings ahead of her she is constantly in trouble with her parents, and hardly ever gets good attention it seems. But this summer she's hoping to change that by having written to the president about helping save the swamp from having a canal put through it.
Things don't quite go as she expected them to though when another young family member named Henry who wants to be a Preacher just like his dad (he practices so many on Elsie that it's no wonder she gets a little tired of it after awhile.) shows up for the rest of the summer as well, plus some Hog bandits have been causing problems as well.

All of this leads to Elsie's most adventurous summers yet, and with so many twists and turns and bad things almost happening, I couldn't put it down, cause I had to know what happened next to Elsie and her family.

Overall I really loved this story, and couldn't get enough of it. I loved learning so much about the history and seeing how much both Elsie and Henry grew as people over the summer was really nice to watch (read) as well.

Finding out that it is based on a real life person and what she did over many years to save her beloved swamp made me like this book even more.

Elsie Mae Has Something to Say is a middle grade novel written by Nancy J. Cavanaugh. I was excited about the opportunity to read this book because we’ve read Cavanaugh’s last book- Just Like Me.

This book takes us back to the 1930s, and we are immediately introduced to Elsie Mae, a young girl living near the Okefenokee Swamp. The swamp is very dear to her heart; not only do her grandparents and uncles live there, but Elsie has spent the last several summers with her grandparents. As the story begins, Elsie Mae is mailing a letter to the White House because she has heard about a canal project that would cut right through her beloved swamp. Elsie Mae is determined to do something about this, and fervently hopes that her letter will reach President Roosevelt’s desk.

The summer starts out well enough- Elsie’s Uncle Owen presents her with a dog, something she has always wanted. Elsie is looking forward to spending the summer becoming acquainted with the dog, but she faces two obstacles: the arrival of her cousin Henry James (who wants to be a preacher when he grows up) and the news that there are no good hog bandits on the loose in the Okefenokee.

Elsie Mae sees a new opportunity; if she can catch the hog bandits, then that might attract enough attention to stop the canal from being built. She will not be alone in her efforts- she’ll have her trusty dog Huck to help, and Henry James might prove useful as well- as long as he can stop preaching and shouting Hallelujah for a minute to listen to her.

I read this book with my three girls who are ten, eight, and eight. They looked forward to reading every night, and laughed at the funny parts and gasped with shock at the surprises. They especially enjoyed Henry’s tendency to say, “Lord have mercy!”

As a parent, I appreciated the lessons conveyed in this book about what it means to be a hero and the motivations of our actions. At first, Elsie Mae is annoyed by Henry James’s warnings about being prideful and that “pride goeth before the fall”, but she reluctantly sees his point. On that note, it’s wonderful that Elsie Mae also learns acceptance; at first she is annoyed by her cousin, but she learns to value him for who he is, and she encourages him to pursue his own goals.

I would absolutely recommend Elsie Mae Has Something to Say to middle grade readers. Elsie is very much a real child- she doesn’t always do what she is supposed to, and Henry is a nice foil for her- the voice of reason, so to speak. This is an adventure story, and there is also an element of mystery as well. As an adult reader, I noticed some clues fairly early, but my girls didn’t figure it out until some of the more obvious clues.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I purchased our own copy of this book as well as the audio companion because I know it’s going to be a family favorite!