Jip: His Story

by Katherine Paterson

When an aged lunatic named Putnam arrives at a poorhouse farm in rural Vermont in 1855, he is treated as little more than a beast by everyone except the orphan Jip, who himself arrived at the charity orphanage/asylum after being found abandoned by the roadside. Jip and Putnam become friends, then allies of a sort, as Jip struggles to improve his own lot and that of his friend Lucy, the unfortunate daughter of the late town drunk. This historical tale by Katherine Paterson involves its young protagonist in the great 19th century struggle between slave owners and abolitionists while sending him into a test of his own loyalty and courage. Paterson handles weighty issues with grace and verve, and does not shrink from terrible truths in this challenging novel for young readers.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Historical, Childrens, Chapter Books

180 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Katherine Womeldorf Paterson is an American writer best known for children's novels, including Bridge to Terabithia. For four different books published 1975–1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Awards. She is one of four people to win the two major international awards; for "lasting contribution to children's literature" she won the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing in 1998 and for her career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense" she won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award from the Swedish Arts Council in 2006, the biggest monetary prize in children's literature. Also for her body of work she was awarded the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2007 and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the American Library Association in 2013. She was the second US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving 2010 and 2011.

Reviews

[Omar Villegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Critique

The book is about a boy named Jip he is a young boy. Jip lives on this farm, Sheldon was also a boy that growed up with Jip, they both have to do chores around the farm. This book is very interesting, there were parts in the book that made you get on the edge of your seat because how intense it gets. The book can make you feel happy when something good happens to Jip. The book can also make you get sad because of the things that Jip did and what happened to him. This book is about someones life what happened to them. I think the author wants to show how child labor is. It affected me by showing how child labor is, the author showed me what Jip had to do in his life so he could survive. The book did poorly on skipping a lot into his life without saying anything that was important when they skipped. The author described his life well, Jip was a kid that got lost. Jip got lost when he was a newborn he fell off the back of a wagon.

I Think this was a good book if you like stories that are sad and then can get happy all of a sudden, you should read this book. This book can show what kids had to do if they were poor and lived on a farm.

[Lylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jip is an interesting character. An orphan, as the book opens, Jip works hard on the poor farm, thinks he cannot learn, and makes the most out of his life. He appreciates the friendships he has with other poor farm folk, and feels proud about his special ability to work with the animals of the farm. But he does wonder why no one came to get him after he fell off the cart that left him where the poor farm people found him when he was a baby. They have called him Jip because they assume his folk must have been gypsies. As the story progresses, Jip has the opportunity to make new friends, and these friends become part of his discovery of who he really is. Katherine Paterson shares pertinent details of mid nineteenth century life in Vermont, including local people's thinking about slavery and the laws that forced Northerners to return freed slaves to their owners. Learning about Jip's life was enjoyable.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a captivating story about a boy in the 1800's, in Vermont. He doesn't know about his family, but bonds with others in his poor farm, including a mentally-ill man. The story of his near-kidnapping is an adventure, plus a great tale of social justice. Good for Young Adults & adults as well as kids!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with my sister who called this book "an exquisite little gem of historical fiction." I read it first and recommended it to her, but she beat me to reviewing it. Wendy, you always have been good at turning a phrase. :) Anyway, this story is set in pre-Civil War New England. The protagonist is a likeable boy who was a foundling. He lives on the town poor farm with an assortment of odd characters and animals. Then one day a sinister stranger comes to town and seems to take an unusual interest in the boy, Jip. Katherine Paterson is a two-time Newbery Award winning author. But I like this book better than either of her award winners. To quote Wendy again, it is a "touching and tender tale about the way we treat others around us." I love what it says about the infinite worth of each soul. I highly recommend this book.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jip is a story of the evilness of slavery, of poverty, of classism, of hope and the wonderful commitment to safety via the underground railroad. Jip (so named because allegedly as a baby, he fell off a wagon while traveling with gypsies), lives and works on a poor farm, uneducated and mistreated, still his love of others shines through.

When an older man deemed a lunatic is sent to live on the farm, Jip soon befriends him and looks upon him as a father he never had. When an untrustworthy man comes to the farm, Jip's intuition tells him all is not well.

When Jip learns the reason why he was abandoned as a child, he also understands why, with the help of loving Quakers, he needs to flee to Canada.

Time and time again in my readings, I find Quakers are portrayed in a positive, social conscious way. I vow to learn more about them.

If anyone has suggestions, please point me in the right direction. Thanks.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jip doesn’t know his real name or who his parents are at the poor farm he lives on in Vermont in the 1850’s. When he is sent to school, he is read Oliver Twist and his teacher loans him Uncle Tom's Cabin, but it’s some slave catchers who identify who he is. And it is his Teacher, one grown up and been to college Lyddie Worthen --title character from the author’s Lyddie-- and his and her friends who get him away to Canada. I enjoyed this, though the copy I read has an unfortunate cover.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jip, a young boy who lives on the poor farm has no knowledge of his family or any clue about where he came from other than the oft-told story that he fell off the back of a gypsy wagon when he was three years old. Then one day a peculiar stranger comes to town and starts poking around and asking about Jip's history.

This book does not have a good beginning. It took me a solid three chapters to get totally into it, but once I was in, I was hooked. There are so many themes in Jip, I wanted to stop to write a lesson every few chapters. It promotes kindness, compassion, love of reading, and many other values. I am putting this on my list of books to potentially teach to young middle schoolers.

[Gig Wailgum · Rating 4 out of 5]

a well written book, sort a Vermont Huck Finn with a new angle.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book! It seemed really boring at first,but it became really interesting. Jip is a young boy who works on a farm. He was told by the other workers on the farm that he fell out of a wagon on the road, supposedly hitting his head. He was found later and brought to the farm. No one knew who he was and no one came to collect him. Because of his strange skin color, the others assumed he was a gypsy. Put is content with his work and has a way with animals and people. Because of this, he is charged with the care of the farm "idiot". However, when a new resident comes in, a lunatic, Jip is especially interested. He spends time with him and realizes what a wonderful person he is, despite his occasional "spells". However, Put (the lunatic) and Jip are separated when he is forced to go to school with Lucy, yet another of his friends on the farm. However, he comes to love school and anticipates it everyday, despising every second of his three-day holiday break. His teacher, whom he refers to as "Teacher", loves him and is the first to realize the danger that he is in. With the help of her and her friend Luke, Jip is able to escape and live life as a free man.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book Jip, is about a boy who story goes that he fell off a gypsy wagon which is his namesake. He has a friend named Sheldon and later a lunatic is housed at the poor farm with no self control at times. Then Sheldon dies in a working accident and he's left with the lunatic. Soon he's found out how smart the lunatic is than he is given credit for. Then a stranger comes with the mystery of Jip's real birth mother/father and he has to discover how he came to be with his friend.

I can connect to the world with Sheldon how he died at work. Many people die at work such as cops, the armed forces and other mistakes. Sheldon died in a mining accident and even though the book takes place in the past, is still a danger. He also had known about the danger and wasnt in there blind.

I give this book a three out of five stars because it was bland. The plot wasn't so good as it was obvious that the stranger would come back and back. There wasn't a variety of characters making him the only mysterious one. He was in Jip's mind the entire story until he found out who he really was.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1850s, Jip, as an abandoned child, is living on a poor farm. Here he is mistreated, but knows no other life. He believes that he fell off a gypsy wagon as a very young child and was never claimed. Among the other residents of the farm, he is loved and respected, yet the owners are cruel at times and do not care for any of them as a parent would.

By happenstance, Jip is allowed to go to school, although begrudgingly. At school, the teacher is well-liked, educated, and cares deeply for the children. She takes Jip aside and warns him to be wary of strangers asking odd questions about his identity. Jip assures her he will be careful, yet he is doubtful he has to be.

As evidence of his true identity are slowly revealed, Jip realizes he must escape to avoid harsher conditions. With the help of teacher and her Quaker friend, he attempts the almost-impossible. Jip, His Story is a step back in time which will have readers, especially young ones, shaking their heads at the cruelty and indifference of adults.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been on a Katherine Patterson kick these last few weeks/months. She has yet to really dissapoint me. I've come to the conclusion that most of her books (what I've read at least) deal with children coming to terms with reality, or who undergo some dramatic change in their thought process during the course of the novel.

Jip is no different. I liked the twist at the end, and as usual I teared up at least once. I thought it was interesting how she worked the climax into the character's story and how different experiences from the book helped him overcome his trials in the end.

I'd say this would be a good read-aloud discussion book, but I wouldn't recommend it to kids who haven't been exposed to the harshness of life yet.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a latter day Uncle Tom's Cabin for the 'my pretty pony" set.

This childrens story starts out well enough but gets progressively more juvenile as it goes along. The sentiments are all great but the final few chapters don't seem to have been written with as much care as the earlier story. Either that or I'd reached my limit.

Of course this is a childrens story, but many of those that I've read work on several levels. This one really doesn't. While it brings up a number of issues that the 8 and under set might benefit from being exposed to, the style is probably not sophisticated enough for even them anymore. This book is the unsweetened oatmeal of the childrens literature field. It might be good for you but it's kinda uninspired.

[Amanda Weeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise. I picked it up from the library shelf because of the literary award sticker on the spine. I also read Bridge to Terabithia for the first time last year and was interested in what else the author had written.

New England in the 1800s, a poorhouse/farm, a "lunatic" before mental illness was understood, and a young boy abandoned and presumed to be a gyspy -- I was interested in all these storylines. My expectations were low, and while the story was engaging through the first half, a plot twist that I didn't see coming made the last part of the book hard to put down. I won't give anything away, but I thought many serious topics were handled very well for a children's book. Awards were well deserved for this one.

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jip is a young man who lives at the county poor farm in rural Vermont. He doesn't know his actual history as to how he arrived there as a baby, but those who run the poor farm belittle him by telling him he fell out of the back of a gypsy wagaon. Jip has learned to like where he lives and even has made friends with those that the community find undesirable. When a local "lunatic" is delievered to the poor farm, Jip is ordered to make the cage he'll be living in. Jip finds the lunatic to be his best friend and the cage is a daily reminder of the bars that keep them all there at the poor farm. A great read with a surprise ending that you won't expect.

[Annie (Claire McCaslin) mccaslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

jip is a boy who fell off a, so called gypsey wagon when he was a baby. he has moved between houses, and farms for his whole life as a worker boy. finally he returns back to the poor farm, the closest thing to home for him. he has his freinds there, sheldon, and all the animals on the farm.

review#2 i have now finished this book, and i really liked it. it can be pretty sad though, and really confusing, you kust have to keep reading, and they re-tell most of the confusing parts so in the end it is not confusing. i think i said confusing alot. anyway i really liked this book and i would recomend it to anyone, especally if you liked someone named eva.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: In the beginning of the book, Jip only knows the ways of life in his village and only learns what he needs to learn about himself and for an education overall. He goes to school to become more educated even though his foster mother doesn't think he needs to. His crazy friend, Put, guides him in his studies when he is not a raving madman. He makes friends with a girl named Lucy who enjoys learning as much as he does. Later he is told that he is technically a slave and strange men are after him. He escapes with the help of his teacher and Luke Stevens. He ends up getting put in prison, but escapes and lives with his teacher.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Paterson's writing is hypnotic. The way she shapes language brings beauty to that dried ink on each page. Jip, the main character in this book, is not only likeable, but a role model. The reader is lucky enough to hear his decision-making process and his morality despite his tough life. He just makes me yearn for the peace of a simple life! My only reservation about this book is the predictability of the plot -- at least for an adult reader. A younger reader, which this book is intended, may not see the interesting twist coming! Absolutely worth reading. A book that leaves the reader thinking long after she's finished reading.

[Hannah McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. It had a more unique approach to talk about the issue of slavery. If I used this book within my future classroom, I would use this book to show what the time period of this time was like, with the talk of slaves. For using it in my class, I could connect real world events that are like Jip’s events show. Another thing I could do is give my students a situation like this where they must escape. This book was really interesting to read and I greatly think reluctant readers would like this book.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Patterson does a great job writing about life of an orphan in the 1850;s sent to the poor farm kept by the townspeople of Vermont.
Interesting story of love for animals, people who are different and the discovery of oneself.

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't liked this book because it was really slowly paced. It had a good story. The story was good because in the beginning, you think one thing about him and by the end, he's a totally different person!

[Bill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Checking in all of my books and 12 years later this stands out as one of my least favorite books I've ever read. I remember it being incredibly unhappy and 12 year old me hated it.

[Roethlisberger_lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! it was s0 heartwarming, sweat, touching, and sad
Best book

[S Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual storyline and very well written. Reading this would engender real compassion for those with less blessed starts in life. Also gives insight into rural and social life in 1800s USA.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction 1997. In 1855 rural Vermont, Jip is an orphan on a poor work farm. He doesn't have a family but he is loyal to those who are turned out of society to live on the farm. When an outsider starts to poking around and raising questions about his identity, Jip must decide to trust him or decide his own fate. Surprising plot twist, suspense and view of life in pre Civil War America. Themes of friendship, loyalty and sacrifice.

[Taylar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Katherine Paterson book but even as an adult her writing holds up! Challenging themes in this YA book but emotional and it did really pull me in. I stayed up too late to finish it to learn about how Jip’s life played out.

I don’t want to give any spoilers but Paterson was ahead of her time writing about race in this way.

[Jacob]

I think the book could have a little more action. It wasn't that bad. But I wouldn't read it a 2nd time.

[duniamimpigie Anggi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ternyata ini ceritanya mengenai isu perbudakan orang-orang Negro (keturunan Afrika) yang berada di Amerika Serikat pada pertengahan abad ke-19. Jip, si tokoh utama, awalnya dikira anak kaum gipsi yang terjatuh dari kereta kuda di daerah sebuah pertanian miskin. Namanya, Jip, pun diambil dari kata "gipsi".
Dari penyebutan-penyebutan diri Jip sebagai "anak gipsi" oleh orang-orang di sekitarnya, bisa ditarik kesimpulan kalau sebenarnya ada diskriminasi orang-orang kulit putih terhadap kaum ini juga, meski di novel ini gak dijabarkan kenapa.
Masalahnya, ketika terungkap bahwa Jip ternyata bukan kaum gipsi melainkan anak budak Afrika, perlakuan yang didapatnya jauuuuuh lebih kejam. Gak peduli posisi Jip yang udah tinggal bersama-sama mereka dan bekerja keras sebagai anak pertanian miskin selama bertahun-tahun, pada akhirnya ketika terungkap dia anak budak, perlakuan orang-orang dewasa di sekitarnya jadi berubah drastis. Seorang ibu yang pada musim dingin lalu berani menitipkan anak perempuannya ke Jip untuk diurus, malah langsung menganggap Jip barang buruan begitu ketahuan dia anak budak Negro. Bener-bener gak masuk akal, tapi diskriminasi seperti ini masih sangat kuat di negara adidaya itu hingga saat ini, kita gak bisa menutup mata. Saya jadi teringat "To Kill a Mockingbird" karya Harper Lee yang juga membahas diskriminasi kulit putih dan hitam di sana.

Btw, saya sedih banget pas Put mati. Saya jadi sempet marah sama Jip karena dia keras kepala pengen membawa Put dalam pelariannya, padahal selain pesakit, dia juga udah tua dan gila. Mana bisa seorang anak tanggung kayak Jip bisa menjaganya sendirian.
Agak kesel juga kenapa si Luke Stevens gak datang tepat waktu untuk mengecek Jip saat bersembunyi di pondok tua di deket pertaniannya. Malah Jip keburu kabur nemuin Put dan melanjutkan perjalanan berdua--yang berujung pada kematian Put.
Adegan kematian Sheldon maupun Put, menurut saya, kurang klimaks. Tapi, justru, di situlah jadi berasa bahwa tokoh-tokoh yang sejak awal kehadirannya penting itu, bisa mati begitu saja. Dadakan. Gak pakai adegan pertarungan yang keren maupun perputaran kehidupan yang menyenangkan terlebih dulu. Efek yang saya terima pas baca jadi beda.

Gitu deh.
Ini novel yang menarik.
Tapi... terjemahan dan editannya agak-agak bikin kliyengan yak ahahaha.... Kurang nikmat bacanya jadinya ||orz