Hattie Big Sky

2006 · Kirby Larson · Historical fiction, World War I homesteading

Recommended. Age: 11+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.

Our review

A brave, prayerful heroine and a story about what love of neighbor costs. Hattie prays every day, starting with thanks, sings hymns, and forgives the man who bullies her friends. She learns that home is the people who love you, not the land. Expect a burned barn, a man beaten, and a child's death from flu. That sorrow is told with tenderness.

For parents

Read it aloud from 10, and a child can read it alone from about 11. Common Sense Media says 10 and up, Plugged In 12 and up. A child dies of flu and neighbors are beaten for being German. Ask why Hattie began her prayers with thanks even when things went wrong. Ask what it cost her to defend the Muellers.

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