Hattie Big Sky

Peach’s Picks Rating


Title:
Hattie Big Sky

Author:
Kirby Larson

Illustrator:
None

ISBN:
0385733135

Publisher:
New York: Delacorte Press

Copyright:
2006

Length:
289 pages

Plot Summary:
It’s 1918 and the World War I is still raging in Europe. Sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks lives in Arlington, Iowa. She is an orphan who has been shifted from one family member to another. Currently, she is staying with a kind uncle and his wife who are eager to have Hattie move on. To Hattie’s surprise, an uncle she never knew existed, has died and left his Montana homestead claim to her. She decides to seek the independence this opportunity offers and sets off for Montana with not much more than her cat and a pair of her uncle’s old work boots. Homesteading is much more than she imagined. Anti-German sentiments run high in this Montana community, ranchers do not like homesteaders, the Spanish influenza strikes, and Hattie finds herself battered and confused as the deadline for meeting the homestead requirements loom. The story is told in first person and includes letters Hattie writes to a friend who is serving in the army and is stationed in Germany. It also includes personal journal articles that Hattie sends back home to the Arlington, Iowa newspaper. The community is interested in her experiences as a homesteader. Hattie is happy to be independent, but life on the prairie can be out of control.

Critical Evaluation:
The book is based on the experience of the author’s great-grandmother. It is astonishing to think of a young woman from an urban area attempting to homestead alone. Each chapter opens with a short letter or an article written for Hattie’s hometown newspaper. This is an effective device used to draw the reader into Hattie’s personal thoughts. The author paints a vivid picture of the mixed emotions faced by a young woman on her own in an environment that is totally foreign to her and full of daily tasks that she can barely accomplish. The writing is clear, but lacks punch. While both joyful and fearsome events swirl around Hattie, the writing does not effectively convey happiness and tension. Hattie’s character is more two dimensional than fully drawn. The nearby rancher, who is courting Hattie until he realizes that she will not part with her homestead, is a one-dimensional villain. The book will only be read and enjoyed by fans of historical fiction.

Reader’s Annotation:
Orphaned Hattie Brooks lives with her uncle and aunt in Iowa. To her surprise she inherits a homestead in Montana and sets off to stake her claim.

Have you ever wondered about the lives of your grandparents or great-grandparents? Kirby Larson, the author of this book, researched the life of her great-grandmother as a 16-year-old homesteader in Montana to create this story.

Author Information:
The author says she has always had a passion for books and refers to them as her best friends while she was growing up
As a mother reading to her children, the book Ming Lo Moves the Mountain by Arnold Lobel inspired Larson to become an author
She lives in Kenmore, Washington
Interests include gardening, bird watching, traveling, making soup, and being with friends
The book was inspired by the life of Larson’s great-grandmother, Hattie Inez Brooks Wright

Genre:
Historical fiction

Curriculum Ties:
Use in literature and history classes

Booktalking Ideas:
What do you think it would be like to be a 16-year-old girl setting up a homestead on the prairies of Montana in 1918?

Reading Level/Interest Age:
Ages 13-16

Additional Books by Author:
Magic Kerchief
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival (co-written with Mary Nethery)

Challenge Issues:
None apparent, but if challenged, deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.

Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
The book received a starred review in Booklist and was a Newbery Honor Book (2007). Three peaches are awarded because it is an interesting look into a homesteader’s life, but lacks pizzazz.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Hattie-Big-Sky-Kirby-Larson/dp/0385735952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273017162&sr=1-1

References:
Larson, K. (2010). “Biography.” Kirby Larson: Writer of Young Adult and Children’s Literature. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from http://www.kirbylarson.com/bio.html