The following web sites can be used to support and enrich the Book Club unit for Missing May by Cynthia Rylant.

Explore the Setting of the Novel

• Charleston, West Virginia – This site shows the golden dome of Charleston's capitol building and offers an overview of the arts, culture, history, and events of Charleston.
• Fayette County – This site offers some quick facts about Fayette County.
• County map – This map outlines the counties of West Virginia and locates Fayette County in relationship to Putnam County.

Find Out about Whirligigs

• From Windmills to Whirligigs – Visitors can check out step-by-step instructions for building different whirligigs, find out facts about the scientific principles demonstrated by whirligigs, and locate other sources of whirligig information by clicking From Windmills to Whirligigs under Ideas and Activities on the Science Museum of Minnesota home page.

Learn about Bats and Owls

• Bats – All the facts that anyone could want to know about bats, including a complete description of their features and habitat, the myths that surround them, the importance of their conservation, as well as their usefulness to humans, are easily accessed from this page.
• Owls – Visitors can use the Lycos Encyclopedia of Animals index to find a brief description of the important facts about the owl.
• OwlCam – Engaging photographs and interesting personal commentary by the creator of this web site record the lives of a pair of Northern Barred Owls in eastern Massachusetts over the course of several years.
• Owl Photo Gallery – This comprehensive gallery presents photographs of many owls in various habitats.

Visit the Renaissance

• Virtual Tour of the Renaissance – This site is designed to immerse visitors in the atmosphere of the Renaissance. They gain a unique perspective on great Renaissance figures from the viewpoints of historical characters and learn about the events, movements, architecture, art, music, and literature of the time in a creative way.

Examine the Grieving Process

• The Grief of Children – The SIDS Foundation sponsors this look at children's grief and offers advice about how to recognize the symptoms of grief, how to avoid explanations that don't help, and how to implement effective strategies for dealing with grief.
• Talking to Children about Death – Ways to approach the subject of death with children as well as information about the developmental stages of children are included on this web site.

Meet the Author

• Cynthia Rylant – Cynthia Rylant's own words provide some insight into her motivation for writing. This site also includes a brief biography and bibliography of her works.