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firedew's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
philosopher_kj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Mental illness, Racism, and Death
akbates's review against another edition
5.0
How have I never heard of this book? It was so good, should have won the Newberry.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
2.0
Too much going on, and none of it was particularly interesting. It could have been better without the first 80 pages and without the silly ending. I wish the initial thoughts regarding the gypsy lineage was the story line...much less cliche?
thebookcure's review against another edition
5.0
How have I never heard of this book? It was so good, should have won the Newberry.
bittercactus's review against another edition
3.0
I hope, one day, to write characters as interesting, heartfelt and authentic as Katherine Paterson's.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
4.0
When he was very young, Jip, so-called because he may have been the son of gypsies, fell from a wagon in a Vermont town, and no one ever came back for him. With nowhere else to go, Jip was placed on the poor farm, along with other marginalized residents, including the mentally ill and physically disabled. As one of the only able-bodied people at the farm, Jip has a lot of responsibility, including looking after Put, a "lunatic" who has occasional fits during which he becomes quite violent and unresponsive to those around him. When a stranger comes to the poor farm claiming to have knowledge of Jip's true identity, Jip is very suspicious, a feeling which is compounded by some of the stories given to him by his teacher at the school he starts attending simply to accompany another farm resident. When it becomes clear that Jip must run away to escape this stranger, he is torn between the desire for his own safety and his loyalty to Put.
For a short novel, this book covers a lot of ground. Through Jip's eyes, the reader learns about poor farms, the treatment of the disabled in the 19th century, education laws, schoolhouse culture, Oliver Twist, Quakers, Uncle Tom's Cabin, the slave trade, and the Underground Railroad. Paterson does quite a good job of keeping the reader very close to Jip's thoughts so that certain truths about his identity which might otherwise be obvious are hidden until the moment Jip realizes them himself. Because Jip is so isolated from regular society, he and the child reader are often learning things at the same time, which makes the explanation of new facts feel very natural and not at all didactic.
The ending of the book is a bit strange. There is an epilogue of sorts that seems to raise some new questions and encourage interest in hearing more of Jip's story, but there is no sequel, so it feels like we're left hanging. There is, however, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to another Paterson novel (Lyddie), which is a nice Easter egg for those who have read both books. It's a small moment, but it resonates strongly if you enjoyed Lyddie, and it's enough to make me want to recommend that people read Lyddie before Jip.
I'm planning to read a dozen Katherine Paterson novels in 2019, and this was a strong one to start with. I really enjoyed her straightforward writing style in this book and the way each character comes to life in her economical but powerful descriptions. I recommend this book for ages 8 to 12.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
For a short novel, this book covers a lot of ground. Through Jip's eyes, the reader learns about poor farms, the treatment of the disabled in the 19th century, education laws, schoolhouse culture, Oliver Twist, Quakers, Uncle Tom's Cabin, the slave trade, and the Underground Railroad. Paterson does quite a good job of keeping the reader very close to Jip's thoughts so that certain truths about his identity which might otherwise be obvious are hidden until the moment Jip realizes them himself. Because Jip is so isolated from regular society, he and the child reader are often learning things at the same time, which makes the explanation of new facts feel very natural and not at all didactic.
The ending of the book is a bit strange. There is an epilogue of sorts that seems to raise some new questions and encourage interest in hearing more of Jip's story, but there is no sequel, so it feels like we're left hanging. There is, however, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to another Paterson novel (Lyddie), which is a nice Easter egg for those who have read both books. It's a small moment, but it resonates strongly if you enjoyed Lyddie, and it's enough to make me want to recommend that people read Lyddie before Jip.
I'm planning to read a dozen Katherine Paterson novels in 2019, and this was a strong one to start with. I really enjoyed her straightforward writing style in this book and the way each character comes to life in her economical but powerful descriptions. I recommend this book for ages 8 to 12.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
hazelalaska's review against another edition
3.0
This book was sort of interesting. I did not expect it to be about slavery because the blurb on the book didn't mention anything about it, and truthfully I feel like it is a spoiler since it really doesn't come in until the latter half of the book.
Spoilers!
I wasn't that satisfied with the ending. It just seemed like Jip was going in circles trying to escape, and he never got anywhere. He didn't even get out of town. Then he got caught, and Teacher was going to claim that he was her son, and Luke wanted to say that he was the father, but I feel like their defense would not stand up well in the court, especailly because of the resemblance between Jip and the slave owner. I don't think it would have worked, but at least in the end Jip got away. I wanted to know more about what happened after he left. What happened to Lucy and Toddy? Who would run the poor farm without Jip and Put and Sheldon? It wasn't the ending that I was hoping for, because I was hoping that Jip would at least find his mother, although he did find his father. I feel like the blurb on the book was a bit misleading and made me hope for something that was never going to happen, and the beginning of the book sort of echoed this. I do commend the author for bringing up the subject of rape in a subtle way. Younger children probably would not understand it, but older children probably would, although some might think it inappropriate for a children's book.
Spoilers!
I wasn't that satisfied with the ending. It just seemed like Jip was going in circles trying to escape, and he never got anywhere. He didn't even get out of town. Then he got caught, and Teacher was going to claim that he was her son, and Luke wanted to say that he was the father, but I feel like their defense would not stand up well in the court, especailly because of the resemblance between Jip and the slave owner. I don't think it would have worked, but at least in the end Jip got away. I wanted to know more about what happened after he left. What happened to Lucy and Toddy? Who would run the poor farm without Jip and Put and Sheldon? It wasn't the ending that I was hoping for, because I was hoping that Jip would at least find his mother, although he did find his father. I feel like the blurb on the book was a bit misleading and made me hope for something that was never going to happen, and the beginning of the book sort of echoed this. I do commend the author for bringing up the subject of rape in a subtle way. Younger children probably would not understand it, but older children probably would, although some might think it inappropriate for a children's book.
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