"Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

“Hattie Big Sky,” by Kirby Larson is a Newberry Honor Award winning historical fiction novel about a sixteen-year-old girl who moves to Montana by herself to live on a land claim and prove it.

Hattie Brooks was orphaned at a young age, and as a result she has spent most of her life being shuttled from relative to relative. Her relatives view her as an annoyance, especially her aunt, who wants her to work as a maid.

When one of Hattie’s Uncles dies he leaves her his land claim, 320 acres of land in Montana. There is only one problem, this land is way out in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest town. In addition, the land won’t really belong to Hattie unless she can meet the country’s requirements, which involve fencing off a large portion of it and cultivating at least forty acres of the land.

Hattie is determined to be able to live on her own, though, so she leaves her aunt behind and sets off for Montana, sure that she will be a success as a farmer. When Hattie arrives she begins the hard work that will be required before the land is hers. The harsh Montana weather, a mean spirited cow, and her bad cooking are all obstacles to be dealt with. At the same time Hattie must worry about her friend Charlie, who is fighting against the Germans in France.

But Hattie has the help of caring friends, Perilee Mueller and her German husband. During Hattie’s first few weeks in Montana the Mueller family helps Hattie with sound advice and caring concern. All too soon, though, Hattie finds herself helping the Muellers.

With World War I at its peak many of the people in Hattie’s small rural community hate all Germans, including the Mueller family. Hattie must walk a very fine line to support and defend her friends, the Muellers, while at the same time keeping the local “Council of Defense” from thinking that she is not a “loyal” American because of her friendship with the Muellers.

In the end, when disaster strikes, Hattie will discover the full meaning and scope of friendship, while at the same time never losing hope in the possibilities around her.

“Hattie Big Sky” is a great novel, with all the ingredients needed to make it interesting. The main character Hattie is strong and capable, and her zeal and determination make “Hattie Big Sky” an inspiring story. Interestingly the story is based on the life of author Kirby Larson’s great-grandmother, who really did homestead by herself in eastern Montana.

The historical aspects of the plot are very believable, making it interesting to read about life on a homestead during the first world war. I feel that “Hattie Big Sky” is a great book for all young readers to enjoy.

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“From Sea to Shining Sea,” compiled by Amy L. Cohn

“From Sea to Shining Sea,” compiled by Amy L. Cohn is “a treasury of American folklore and Folk Songs.” This excellent collection of traditional tales and tunes does a great job of giving young readers a taste of the rich ethnic and cultural foundation of America. The collection is beautifully illustrated by eleven Caldecott Medal and four Caldecott Honor artists.

“From Sea to Shining Sea” is organized into several main sections, the first being “In the Beginning.” If you have ever been interested in the creation myths and religious beliefs of Native Americans then this is a good place to start. Nine traditional Native American tales and songs show how Raven brings fresh water and creates the first river, how Grandmother Spider brings light to world by stealing the sun, and how Coyote decorates the night by creating the stars. Perhaps the most interesting traditional tale is “Sedna, the Sea Goddess” an Inuit legend about how the animals of the sea came to be.

After covering the creation of America, “From Sea to Shining Sea” moves on to early colonization. Twelve tales from Mexico, Spain, French Louisiana, and the early British colonies. I really enjoyed the story “Why Alligator Hates Dog.” This creole tale explains how dog got on the bad side of Alligator and why Alligator likes to wait in the water like a half sunken log.

The third section, “The Shot Heard, 'Round the World” contains songs and stories from the American Revolution of 1776. The original thirteen colonies were small but they were surprisingly strong in their fight against the British. Perhaps it was due to the strength of their story telling abilities. Along with such traditional favorites such as “Paul Revere's Ride” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy” readers will find tales of courageous women and children who choose to help their country.

After the War of Independence America began to grow as it absorbed the territories to the West. The fourth section, “Bridging the Gap” contains some of the wild stories that arose during this tumultuous time. My personal favorite is “Jack and the Two-Bullet Hunt,” a humorous story about an easy going young boy who goes out on a hunt with only two bullets but comes home with much more game than he ever would have imagined!

“From Sea to Shining Sea” then moves on to tales of the sea, and the sailors that traveled it. From Mister Stormalong, to the Salem Ghost Ship the sea was a topic that created some fascinating traditional stories. Also included are such rousing sea shanties as “Blow, Boys, Blow” and “Blow, Ye Winds in the Morning.”

The fifth section, about slavery and emancipation, is entitled “Let My People Go.” It includes famous spirituals, the story of Harriet Tubman, and other tales told by slaves. The interesting thing is that the majority of the stories are filled with hope rather than despair.

Section number six is about railroad tales. After the Civil War railroad played a large role in linking the country together again, and many tales revolve around it. Well known songs such as “John Henry” rub shoulders with fascinating historical stories such as “Death of the Iron Horse,” about a group of Indians who destroy a train.

“O Pioneers,” the seventh section of “From Sea to Shining Sea” is about the pioneers who traveled across the Western lands to create new communities. This mass movement resulted in many stories including that of Charley, the first woman to vote in California.

“From Sea to Shining Sea” then moves on to modern times with fascinating and often humorous tales about tricksters, nonsense, animals, ghosts, baseball and other topics that bridge a wide range of different story genres and styles.

I think that “From Sea to Shining Sea” is a great book for young people because it gives them a broad look at the stories that were written about America and its development. The shear scope and quality writing and illustrations of “From Sea to Shining Sea” make me highly recommend it.


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“The Treasure of Savage Island,” by Lenore Hart

“The Treasure of Savage Island,” by Lenore Hart is an adventure story that includes a runaway slave, pirates and buried treasure.

Molly Savage lives with her father in an inn that the Savage family used to own. But her father gambled it away and now it is owned by a cruel woman who works Molly and her father like servants. Rafe is a young boy who ran away from the plantation where he was a slave. For Rafe staying hidden is a necessity, because if he is discovered slave catchers will take him right back to his former life. When Molly discovers Rafe she decides to keep help hide and feed him.

Molly and Rafe will have to work together when looting pirates attack. They're after a legendary treasure supposedly hidden near the inn where Molly and her father now live. Can Molly and Rafe survive the pirate attack, or perhaps even better, find the treasure for themselves?

“The Treasure of Savage Island” isn't exactly a masterpiece of writing. The combination of pirate themes and an escaped slave is unique but the storyline is lacking a certain amount of believability. Most of the characters are slightly cliché, and their interactions are almost routine. To summarize “The Treasure of Savage Island” is an average book, but it lacks that special zest that I like to see in the books I read.

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