Jip, His Story

by Katherine Paterson

Book Overview

Raised on a poor Vermont farm after tumbling off the back of a wagon as a small child, Jip is astonished years later when a slave catcher reveals that he is the son of a runaway slave and that he is the property of a slave owner.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525675434
• ISBN13: 9780525675433
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Highly Unrealistic

Ms. Paterson's setting and dialog are excellent, but it is difficult to believe Jip's father is not only willing but eager to enslave his own son who, by the way, even looks like him. And get this: Even assuming that Jip's father is the utter monster the book makes him out to be, none of the other characters expresses any dismay about this. None of the adults who like Jip and care about him ever even suggests that perhaps someone needs to sit down and have a little talk with Dad. And there's more: Jip is portrayed as a sensitive, caring person, yet he never wonders how he can have sprung from such a father. He must have seen normal father-son relationships -- fathers and sons chopping wood, fishing together, etc., yet he never seems surprised that his father is a callus monster. The book also leaves one wondering how Jip's life on the poor farm in Vermont is much different from what it would be like as a slave down south. He often hasn't enough food, dresses in rags, and doesn't even have shoes...in winter...in Vermont. He's forced to work at whatever the poor farm manager sets him to and although he wants to go to school, the manager won't let him because he needs him on the farm. The manager even has the right to hire him out to work elsewhere. Amazingly, Jip never wonders how life would be different as a slave nor is this ever explained anywhere in the story. I don't know why this book won an award. It can't be one of Ms. Paterson's better pieces of work.

Not what it seems...

Jip: His Story is far from a typical story. This historical fiction provides great insight into the Underground Railroad simply through understatement! Jip, receiving his name from the belief that he fell off the back of a gypsy wagon that didn't care to stop for him, grows up on the local poor farm. Even in the most dier circumstances, Jip finds a friend in the newest poor farm resident - the lunatic. When a stranger shows up with a suspicious interest in Jip, Jip begins his baffling search for identity. I love the perspective of this book and Patterson's subtle story. I wish I could say more, but don't want to ruin the unfolding of the true conflict.

Jip: His Story

In the book Jip: His Story by Katherine Paterson, a boy named Jip, who is living on a poor farm, sets out to get away from a slave catcher. After starting a life-long friendship with the local maniac, Put, Jip is suddenly found by a stranger who claims to know about his real father. Jip is not sure what to do, but when the stranger tries to catch him along with a slave catcher, Jip takes Put and goes to the Stevens' house for help. The Stevens' are people who told Jip about his past and offered to help out of danger. This was an amazing book that I really enjoyed reading. The plot line was incredible and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good adventure story. One of the best parts of the plot is when Jip was trying to find his schoolteacher who promised to help him if anything bad happened. When he was almost there, he saw the slave catcher and some dogs that he had gotten to know started barking so the slave catcher knew someone was there. The only flaw with this book is that it took a while to get to the good part, so for the first few chapters, I didn't really care for the story. When I finished the book though, it was worth it. Throughout the story, I had feeling when I was actually in the book actually seeing what was happening first hand even though I was only reading a book. The one time I could feel myself not actually reading the book and like I was part of the book, was at the very end of the story, which I don't wish to give away at this time. The text gave me a very detailed picture in my mind allowing me to feel like I was in the story. The plotline shown above only gives you the story at a glance. You will have to read through the entire book to get the good details. The book also comes complete with one heck of a good ending. This book is great. With an interesting plot line and good storytelling suspense, I couldn't stop reading it. Anyone who doesn't read this book will miss a story of amazing proportions. I hope this review helps anyone who wants to know what this book is about.

Jip His Story

Jip His Story Penguin Group, 1996, 180 pp., $5.99Katherine Paterson ISBN 0-H0386712 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 Best Book I was forced To read. ...

This book was really good. I'm 11 and in Language Arts we did an author study on Katherine Paterson. I was required to read this book. At first it seemed pretty boring but once I passed the 2nd chapter I fell in love with it. Oh yea in case you was wondering the book is about a boy named Jip. His name is Jip because it is like short for gypsy. Everyone said Jip was a gypsy baby because he fell off this wagon and was abandon. Well anyway he lives in the Poor Town. He has to work really hard and take care of everyone, he is basically the ONLY reliable person there. One day, this lunatic comes into the town. He's name is Put. Jip and Put have a special connection and they become fast friends.At the same time, he has many other friends on the town who are somewhat jealous of Put and Jip's relationship. One day a stranger comes into town and he might have the information about Jip's past. When jip finds out who he truly is he takes a turn for the worst. he has to leave behind everything in order to save himself. The most difficult thing he must do is realize Put isn't well enough to come. Wheather that stops him from bringing him anyway, I just can't tell you ...

Great Book

Katherine Paterson does a great job in her book, Jip: His Story. Jip is a young boy who does not know how old he is. He has grown up thinking he fell off a gypsy wagon and that the town he lives in took him in. A mysterious man starts hanging around and trying to get information on him for his supposed father. Jip befriends the town lunatic and takes him on as a father figure. The lunatic, Put, helped Jip with his schooling. It is not until the close of the story that Jip finds out he is the son of an African slave and a white owner. His mother intentionally put him out of the wagon in hope that he would have a better life. He goes through a transformation of working on a farm and going to school to a young man running for his life. 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.