Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle's homesteading claim.For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie's been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing her adventures with her friends--especially Charlie, fighting in France--through letters and articles for her hometown paper.Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a "Loyal" American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything, Hattie's determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of home.From the Hardcover edition.

This was a great read for middle school / jr high kids.

It is not schmaltzy at all and really emphasizes the incredible hard work homesteaders went through.

Hattie, orphaned and farmed out to various relatives, is just about to be forced to leave school and take up tedious work at a local store when she learns she has inherited a 320 acre farm. The farm is not without conditions, however. Hattie is required by the terms of the homesteading agreement to fence the land and plant a crop. She soon learns it will take real gumption just to survive the bleak Montana winter. A community of other homesteaders helps Hattie as she tries to make it in a small cabin through the freezing winter. Newbery Honor.

I've gone back and forth on a 4 rating or 5 rating for this book but since it's been three days since I finished the book and I still can't stop thinking about it, I've got to give it the full five. I love this book. I love the characters and I am obsessed with the setting, both location and time period. At the end of the book, the author lists other books about homesteading and I intend to try out a few of them. I will definitely revisit this book some time.
I disagree with the publishers on the appropriate age level for this book. It's listed as a 5th grade reading level with an age range of 9-12. First, I do NOT think this is written on a 5th grade level, especially since the subject is something students will likely know very little about. (I did not even know what homesteading was until I read this book.) Second, most middle schoolers I know would probably be bored by this book unless they were history buffs. I think this book would appeal more to adult women who love history. I could be very wrong of course, and I hope there are classes of seventh graders cheering for this book.