BIBLIOGRAPHY
Larson, Kirby. 2006. Hattie Big Sky. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780385733137
PLOT SUMMARY
Hattie Inez Brooks was a sixteen year orphan who did not have a permanent home. She lost her parents at the age of five and there after lived with one or the other distant relatives. One day unexpectedly, she inherits a homestead in Montana from an uncle she had never known. She finds this an opportunity to find herself a home which she would call her own. Soon she finds that to prove her claim she would need to put a fence down, plant and harvest flax and wheat and survive the harsh winter. Hattie was a young woman with strong determination.
She made friends with her neighbors, The Muellers who later became her very close to her.They helped her settle in her new house and take care of the horses and the cows.
In1917, anti German sentiments grew strong in Montana. Her neighbor, Karl Mueller who was German born was attacked. Hattie stood by them and also supported them during this tough time. It is an enjoyable story full of adventure, heartbreak and joy.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The author creates a very believable plot of Hattie’s life and World War I through this remarkable story. The story portrays the challenges faced by a young orphan girl through which she learns the values of life, friendship, hardships and joy of being self sufficient. The story is written in a narrative way which helps the readers connected to the story.
The story is inspired by the author’s great-grandmother who lived in a homestead all by herself in eastern Montana. The story portrays with detail, the life of a young girl on a homestead during WWI and also the anti German sentiments that every one had during the war against the Germans.
This book will be enjoyed by the teenagers who will see the young girl struggling to survive and helping her friends. There are some interesting recipes at the end of the book that the readers may like trying.
AWARDS/ REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books - Older Readers Category: 2007
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 2006
Montana Book Award
School Library Journal Best Books: 2006
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2007
School Library Journal: “Larson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.”
Booklist: “Writing in figurative language that draws on nature and domestic detail to infuse her story with the sounds, smells, and sights of the prairie, she creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters.
Horn Book : “Set in Montana during World War I, Larson's novel tells a gripping story of frontier life through the eyes of an unlikely homesteader--a sixteen-year-old orphan girl. Pressures to be a "loyal" American complicate her situation after she befriends a German couple. Evocative yet straightforward language ably depicts Hattie's joys and struggles.”
CONNECTIONS
-Open a discussion with students asking them how they handle hardships.
-Discuss the character of Hattie with students.
-Related books
Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1999. LILY'S CROSSING. Bantam Doubleday Dell. ISBN 9780440414537.
Holm, Jennifer L. 2007. PENNY FROM HEAVEN. Yearling. ISBN 0375836896.
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