Jip:His Story [Paperback]

How would you feel if everybody told you that when you were a baby, you fell off the back of a wagon and nobody came back for you and the only person who knows the truth is a complete stranger who has been following your every move? That's what happened to Jip, the protagonist of Katherine Paterson's Jip His Story. When he tries to find out answers, his whole world is turned upside down.
Jip is a thirteen year-old boy who lives on a barn with Mr. and Ms. Lyman, neither of which are his real parents. Supposedly, Jip fell off the back off of a wagon and no one came back for him or even cared. Mr. Lyman found Jip on the side of the road and took him back to his barn. As soon as Jip was old enough to work, Mr. Lyman put him to work in the barn; they made hi feed the animals clean the house. Jip had to do all the dirty work. Jip hates working in the barn.
One day a truck pulled up to the barn and in the back was a guy who everyone thought was a lunatic. At first Jip was frightened to talk to him, but when he got to know him, this lunatic became his best friend Put. Jip eventually decides that he wants to find his real parents and get as far away from the Lyman's and the barn as possible. Jip doesn't know exactly where he needs to go, but he knows he needs to get away. Jip and Put are on a quest to leave the town, but bad things start to happen when a mysterious stranger starts following Jip, telling him he knows his real dad.
This is a really excellent book about friendship and trust. I recommend this book to anyone who likes books in the genre of realistic fiction. This book has a lot of adventure in it too. I really got into this book and I couldn't put it down. This is not the first Katherine Paterson book I have read and enjoyed, but it is one of my favorites. Katherine Paterson is a fabulous writer children's author who hooks you into her writing. She makes you feel like you're the story.
This book is a lot like the book Stuart Little, in Stuart Little, a little boy didn't think he could be friends with a mouse, just like Jip didn't think he would be able to be friends with a lunatic. If you are looking for a good book to read, I suggest that you go get Jip His Story right now. It's a great book to read for enjoyment and I think that everybody should read it. There is not a certain age group who should read this book. It's a book that almost anybody can read and enjoy.

~Jordan Sawyers, Grade 8, Patrick Lyndon Pilot School, Boston, Massachusetts
~Teacher: Lisa Portadin

The value of Jip: His Story is wonderfully accurate. Jip was homeless and needed to work for a room over his head and food on his plate. The town lunatic, Put, had to be kept in a cage instead of sent elsewhere because of the cost. Our society has evolved from back in the 1800's. In America, there is no more slavery and the mentally troubled get help in hospitals. Katherine Paterson stays true to the speech of the past. A reader can tell the difference between the "normal" person living in Vermont and a Quaker. The two have been differentiated very well. The transition between speakers is done very smoothly. The reader can find himself imagining the past very well. The imagery in Jip: His Story helps bring the story together.

It is very apparent that Katherine Patterson took some time in writing her book. The historical value could only come from someone who knew about what she was speaking. It is a good thing to have the historical point of view of those that were considered disadvantaged, so everyone can see that the past was not all easy. Katherine Patterson is a great writer and young adults and adults alike can enjoy this book.