Hattie Big Sky

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Larson, Kirby. Hattie Big Sky. Yearling, 2009.

ISBN 978-0385735957

2. Evaluation

To be honest, about a year ago I had this book suggested to me by a friend who gave me rave reviews and insisted that I’d love it. I had my reservations as I typically do not care for “prairie stories” which was exactly what I had decided this book would be. When I saw that Dr. Vardell had listed this as a suggested read for Historical Fiction, I figured I’d be open and give it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did!

Hattie Big Sky is about a teenage girl who strikes out on her own to claim an old Uncle’s homestead in Montana just as American involvement in WWI is in full swing. The land is just the thing Hattie's been looking for. Orphaned when she was young, the girl has bounced from family member to family member so often that she feels a little like Hattie Here-and-There. Now, with a big beautiful piece of land entirely her own she feels like she's Hattie Big Sky. Of course there's fence to put down, wheat and flax to plant and harvest, neighbors to befriend (or avoid), and more work than any sixteen-year-old young lady could ever have dreamed of.

Hattie is a strong willed, independent girl with a can do attitude and happy spirit that captures the reader quickly. Larson does a wonderful job creating many characters that seem real and relatable. The plot, much to my surprise, also keeps you guessing all the way through, which I loved!

3. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“Larson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.”–School Library Journal, Starred

“The authentic first-person narrative, full of hope and anxiety, effectively portrays Hattie's struggles as a young woman with limited options, a homesteader facing terrible odds, and a loyal citizen confused about the war and the local anti-German bias that endangers her new friends. Larson, whose great-grandmother homesteaded alone in Montana, read dozens of homesteaders' journals and based scenes in the book on real events. 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.”- Starred Review, Booklist

 2007 Newbery Honor Book

 2006 Montana Book Award

 School Library Journal starred review

 Booklist starred review

 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

 Book Links Lasting Connections of 2006 title

 Barnes & Noble Teen Discover Title

 Borders Original Voice

 2006 Cybils nomination

 2007-2008 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award nomination

4. CONNECTIONS

When I was in an undergraduate class that focused on teaching students to read in authentic ways, we learned about Literature Circles, book clubs for students. I absolutely love this idea! I think that Hattie Big Sky would make a great addition to a Literature Circle theme of Survival. This book fits well into this group because of the theme of the book: Hattie learning how to survive in unfamiliar territory on her own. I also think it would offer a different take on the theme and give a different genre of book to choose from.