Hattie Big Sky facts for kids

Hattie Big Sky is an exciting historical novel for young readers, written by Kirby Larson. It was first published in 2006. This book tells a powerful story set in the past. In 2007, it was recognized as a Newbery Honor book, which is a big award for children's literature. It was also named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Hattie Big Sky was even nominated for the Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award.

What is Hattie Big Sky About?

This novel takes place during World War I, a major global conflict. The main character is Hattie Brooks, a sixteen-year-old orphan. Hattie has moved between many different relatives and feels like she doesn't truly belong anywhere. She's tired of being passed around.

Hattie's New Beginning

One day, Hattie receives an important letter. It's from an uncle she barely knew, who has recently passed away. To her surprise, he has left her all of his land! This land is located far away in Montana. Hattie decides to travel there to start a new life as a homesteader. A homesteader was someone who claimed and worked on government land to make it their own.

Challenges on the Montana Frontier

Hattie faces a big challenge: she has less than a year to prove she can successfully live on and take care of the land. If she doesn't, she could lose it. The book shares Hattie's experiences through letters she writes. She sends letters to her friend Charlie, who is fighting in the war, and to her Uncle Holt.

Neighbors and Difficult Choices

Life on the frontier is tough, and Hattie meets many different people. One of the difficulties she faces involves her kind neighbors. Because of World War I, people of German descent were sometimes treated unfairly in America. Hattie is pressured to avoid her German-American neighbors, even though they are good people. This forces her to make hard choices about loyalty and friendship.