Elisabeth Greenberg (Children's Literature)
Hattie "Neither Here Nor There," orphaned at age five, has been farmed out to various relatives right up to age sixteen. Then she faces a dramatic turning point in her life. Her aunt (by marriage, thank goodness!) Ivy wants to farm Hattie out to help in Iantha Wells's boardinghouse; Hattie resists as she wants to finish school; her mother's brother bequeaths her a Montana land claim, a steadfast horse named Plug, and a contemptible cow known as Violet. With the blessing of her uncle (thank goodness he's a relative and a friendly one), Hattie takes off for the big skies of Montana, the warm comfort of a German American neighbor, the nefarious schemes of another smooth-talking handsome but angry young man, and long letters from her childhood friend Charlie, serving in Europe in World War 1. This well-researched and gripping novel firmly places its lively heroine in loneliness and debt on her rugged uncle's land claim. Her few excursions to the local village for supplies and celebrations confront her with the anger against German speakers and the unfairness of those in authority. Long days spent watering, digging, fencing, and counting her pennies should win her a home and full possession of her land, but, realistically, most land claimants didn't fulfill the necessary requirements within three years, and Hattie loses her land after all her hard work and perseverance. However, in just one year on the Montana land, she discovers what true friendship and family mean by standing by her neighbors. Her friend Charlie writes that he is longing to come home from the war to see her (and not that flirty girl Mildred), and she realizes just how wonderful her life might be in future. Her discovery of enormous strength within herself as she makes independent decisions on what is right, how to lead her life, and build her character makes this a delightful and empowering book for young women who will enjoy some of the eccentric Montana characters as much as Hattie's forthrightness and intimate concerns. 2005, Delacorte Press/Random House, $15.95 and $17.99. Ages 15 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 17))
What dreams would lead a 16-year-old to leave her safe home in Arlington, Iowa, and take a chance on a homestead claim in Montana? Hattie Brooks, an orphan, is tired of being shuttled between relatives, tired of being Hattie Here-and-There and the feeling of being the "one odd sock behind." So when Uncle Chester leaves her his Montana homestead claim, she jumps at the chance for independence. It's 1918, so this is homesteading in the days of Model Ts rather than covered wagons, a time of world war, Spanish influenza and anti-German sentiment turning nasty in small-town America. Hattie's first-person narrative is a deft mix of her own accounts of managing her claim, letters to and from her friend Charlie, who is off at war, newspaper columns she writes and even a couple of recipes. Based on a bit of Larson's family history, this is not so much a happily-ever-after story as a next-year-will-be-better tale, with Hattie's new-found definition of home. This fine offering may well inspire readers to find out more about their own family histories. (acknowledgments, author's note, further reading) 2006, Delacorte, 304p, $15.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 12 to 15. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, September 2006 (Vol. 40, No. 5))
Imagine Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie being all alone, a teenager, trying to establish a homestead in Montana. Larson has a grandmother in her family who did just that, and Hattie Big Sky is based on that woman's experiences. Hattie's uncle died before he could finish the requirements to own the homestead outright, and he wills his claim to young Hattie, an orphan who longs for her own home. Here is her chance. Fortunately, Hattie finds neighbors who become like family. It is l917, the country is at war, and German immigrants are suspect as traitors. There are many such immigrants in Montana, and there are vigilantes trying to make anyone with a German name leave the area. Hattie's next-door neighbors, who help her survive, include a man who is German, so the persecution comes close to her, even threatening her own home because she refuses to turn her back on her neighbors. Throughout the story, she writes letters to Charlie from her hometown in Iowa. Charlie has been sent as a young soldier to fight the war in France, so he too is being tried to his own limits of endurance. The details of Hattie's care for her livestock, for planting, harvesting, worrying over money, dealing with intense cold in the winter and drought in the summer, are vivid, which is probably why I was reminded of the Little House books while reading this. Hattie's strength and intelligence, her courage and loyal friendship make her a real hero. An unusual YA novel, an old-fashioned one, but moving and inspiring all the same. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2006, Random House, Delacorte, 289p., $15.95.. Ages 12 to 18.

Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 2007 (Vol. 60, No. 7))
There’s not much future in Iowa for sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks, whose guardian aunt is urging her to quit school and take a domestic job, so the opportunity to prove up a Montana homestead claim left to her by a deceased uncle seems a longshot worth taking. She’ll have the better part of one year to complete the fencing, bring forty acres under cultivation, and raise the nearly forty-dollar fee to own the property free and clear. Neighbors welcome her and assist wherever they can—advising on crop choice, stretching fence wire in spare moments, donating a few chickens, sharing heaving equipment, and offering moral support and friendship. But Hattie’s particular closeness with the family of German immigrant Karl Mueller and his American wife, Perilee, catches the attention of Traft Martin, scion of a wealthy ranching family and head of a nativist contingent of townsfolk who whip up anti-German sentiments as World War I rages in Europe and claims the lives of American soldiers. Martin keeps Hattie wary and off balance—charming her with hints of romance one moment, cajoling her to sell her farm the next; reasoning with her about making ill-advised friendships, and then turning to thinly veiled threats. Hattie’s determination and loyalty to the Muellers is unshakable, but just when it looks like she will succeed, Nature throws a knockout punch worse than anything Martin or his ilk could devise. Larson’s tale is inspired by an ancestor who, as a single young woman, did prove up a Montana claim, but she turns to more common experiences of failure to fashion Hattie’s fictional story. With the literary Great Plains overpopulated by plucky 1800s girls on covered wagons, it’s refreshing to bring the homestead experience into the twentieth century and meet a strong-willed young woman who meets failure with dignity, shoulders her debts with good-natured resolve, and plans her future with cautious optimism. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2006, Delacorte, 289p., $17.99 and $15.95. Grades 6-9.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2007)
Set in Montana during World War I, Larson's novel tells a gripping story of frontier life through the eyes of an unlikely homesteader--a sixteen-year-old orphan girl. Pressures to be a "loyal" American complicate her situation after she befriends a German couple. Evocative yet straightforward language ably depicts Hattie's joys and struggles. Recipes and an author's note are included. Reading list. Category: Older Fiction. 2006, Delacorte, 289pp, 15.95, 17.99. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Laura Baker (The Lorgnette-Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 19, No. 4))
Orphaned as a baby, Hattie has spent most of her sixteen years being shuttled from one distant relative to another, never having a sense of belonging or of family. When an uncle she has never known she had dies and leaves her his homestead in Montana, Hattie is eager to go. The catch is that this is 1918 Montana. In order to keep the land, Hattie must prove her claim by cultivating the land within the year. Can Hattie tame this wild land alone, and will it give her the home she so desperately craves? Several themes run throughout this historical novel. One is that of the homesteader. The land is beautiful but rugged and not always amenable to settlers. Hattie must learn to live in a homesteader’s shack, deal with weather extremes, plow, plant, and string fences. She must learn to make a living and plant her fields, always hoping for the crop that may or may not come in. The fact that this story is told from a female pioneer’s experience is significant and lends a fresh perspective to other homesteader stories. Hattie must also deal with prejudice. The setting is during the First World War, and anti-German feelings run strong. Hattie’s nearest neighbors and closest friends are Germanic. She watches in confusion and anger as townspeople question anyone with a German name, and vigilantes threaten even the innocent because of “suspected loyalties.” Finally, one of the strongest themes is Hattie’s own need for family. Her desire for a house of her own is really her desire for a sense of belonging. She experiences first hand the importance of neighbors, of giving help and accepting help, and through it all learns that family is not necessarily a state of land but a state of heart. This is one of Kirby Larson’s first novels of this length and import, and it expertly showcases her writing. Hattie has a clear voice, ringing with humor and strength and honesty. The story is told in first person and with excerpts of letters Hattie writes to a childhood friend and soldier, making the story seem almost like a diary, complete with events, fears, anxieties, and triumphs. Larson researched many accounts of Montana homesteaders. The way of life, the town, even the anti-German sentiment are all accurate. Because this is a story, the reader feels connected to Hattie and those who people this book and learns so much more than historical records alone could convey. Such is the mark of all good fiction. HATTIE BIG SKY is a Newbery Honor Book. We can only hope for more from this author. Fiction, Highly Recommended. Grades 4-6. 2006, Delacorte, 289p., $15.95.