The Jumping-Off Place by Marian Hurd McNeely. South Dakota Historical Press, 2008 (1929) 321 pages

After the death of their beloved uncle, four orphaned siblings settle a homesteading claim in South Dakota in 1910. Led by their older teen sister, Becky, they spend their first year on the prairie. Originally published in 1929, this is definitely an old fashioned children's book, and it is very reminiscent of the Little House series. The book starts off a little slowly, but Hurd McNeely develops her characters very well-- quietly but quickly--and i found my self pulled deeper into a story that is quiet but consistent-- chronicling events --not adventures, exactly-- that occur during the family's first year on the claim. The story ends when the year finishes, and while the ending is certainly predictable, it is also satisfying-- and in keeping with the quiet nature of the work itself. I really enjoyed the book --- it is very well written and full of subtleties that enhance the story without hitting you over the head-- for example, the seasonal weather on the prairie mirrors the mood of the narrative as it progresses. i knew little about South Dakota or the prairie experience before The Jumping-Off Place and i did not expect to like the book anywhere near as much as i did, and i have a new found understanding for the settler experience. When i talk about this book and this period, however, I do feel compelled to point out that this was the last of the large native american land thefts, and this land ----that the Linville kids and other prairie families so loved-- was stolen from native people as part of US policy to decimate the Indian population, separate the people from their ancestral lands and destroy native culture. I believe the book's afterward, by Jean L. S. Patrick, should have made this point more clearly. So....that being said, I clearly liked the book quite a bit, and while it is not for every child, i think that for upper elementary and middle school kids with a taste for the Little House series, or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, or Secret Garden, etc. I would recommend it. Also, a great Read-A-Loud for a younger group. Recommended-with historical notes--