Hattie Big Sky - Kirby Larson

nThis Newbery Honor winning, New York Times bestseller celebrates the true spirit of independence on the American frontier. nFor most of her life, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks has been shuttled from one distant relative to another. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she summons the courage to leave Iowa and move all by herself to Vida, Montana, to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim. n n Under the big sky, Hattie braves hard weather, hard times, a cantankerous cow, and her own hopeless hand at the cookstove. Her quest to make a home is championed by new neighbors Perilee Mueller, her German husband, and their children. For the first time in her life, Hattie feels part of a family, finding the strength to stand up against Traft Martin's schemes to buy her out and against increasing pressure to be a loyal American at a time when anything--or anyone--German is suspect. Despite daily trials, Hattie continues to work her uncle's claim until an unforeseen tragedy causes her to search her soul for the real meaning of home. n nThis young pioneer's story is lovingly stitched together from Kirby Larson's own family history and the sights, sounds, and scents of homesteading life. n nAN AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS nA SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK nA BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE nNAMED TO 13 STATE AWARD LISTS n nA marvelous story about courage, loyalty, perseverance, and the meaning of home. --Newbery Award-Winning Author Karen Cushmann