My Own Summary and Review: Jip His Story

Title: Jip His Story
Author: Katherine Paterson

Summary and Review by: Hyacinth S. Faune [SJSaranghae]

Reviewed in Yahoo on: October 1, 2007

Winner of the Scott O’ Dell Award
An ALA Notable Book
A PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Book of the Year(1997)
My Own Personal Review:

I borrowed this book from the ANHS library….specifically the Caridad Trillo Elumba Library of English.

The story is all about a boy named Jip who has been told that when he was small, he fell off a gypsy wagon and no one ever came back for him. He lives in a poor farm owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lyman. His best friend is Sheldon Morse. Sheldon is about 30, but his mind is of a 10 year old. The town’s overseer/Overseer of the Poor, Mr. Flint had Jip and Sheldon to build a cage for the arriving “lunatic”.

The Wilkenses: Mrs. Wilkens, Lucy and Toddy came to live at the farm. Sheldon offered to work at a quarry which resulted to his death after a dynamite blasted off the heart of the stone. Sheldon’s death brought great greif to Jip.

Jip offered to care for this “lunatic” in a cage in the cage room since no one in town dared to do it. Sometimes this lunatic called Put…short term for Putnam Nelson would lose his bad spells and be a wise, proper old man. Jip and Put shared a warm friendship. Jip tried his best to be with Put all the time possible since he doesn’t want his friend to be sent to Brattleboro or in the asylum. He sacrificed for Put even during the states he has some spells in which he speaks nonsense, shouts out curses and curses the name of the Lord….But Jip knew that Put wasn’t his self and that he could not control being in the state of “lunacy” sometimes. But despite these, Jip and Put became the Best of Friends.

Toddy and Put developed a nice kind of friendship too in which Toddy asks Put to sing his song “All is Well”. Lucy, who at first was ignorant to Jip became friends with him. They both went to school, where they met their Teacher (whom they also call Teacher). Teacher was kind and patient to Jip and they read Oliver Twist which has some kind of connection to Jip (remember Oliver doesn’t know about his past…). Teacher had a friend called Mr. Stevens (he later knew as Luke Stevens).

Sometime at night a strange person would appear on the farm while Jip was alone. This dark figure would usually freak him out (later discovered as the slaver). Unaware was Jip about the mysterious man and his evil schemes.

At the end of the school, the Wilkenses left the farm. Jip by a chance came over the Quakers’ farm (where Luke Stevens lives). Jip saw Luke who told him about his real identity. He was put on purpose on the road by his mother so that he would not be a slave too… He is also not a gypsy but an African (the white kind…)He learned about his mother and the people trying to catch him. So, Luke offered Jip help. He told Jip not to bring Put along but Jip insisted…(what a fool he is…)

Jip and Put traveled all the way and they could not get into the first station (the Quakers’ farm) for Jip’s captors had been there first. The Brackett Brothers helped in the capture.

After a long time hiding and seeking for help (he seeked the Wilkenses’ help first but found out that Mrs. Wilkens betrayed him and Lucy told him that she is a remaining loyal friend. She told Jip to go to Teacher for help in fear that her mom would wake up. Jip gave the only penney he EVER earned to Lucy and Toddy as a remembrance), he was finally caught. Put, who tried to rescue Jip was shot by a slaver with a pistol. In turn, Put, with his last strength killed the slaver.

Jip was put to prison, but with the help of Teacher and Luke Stevens, he escaped and went northwards following the Big Dipper as Put have said while still living and went to live with Teacher and Luke’s friend in Montereal: Reverend Ezekial Freeman
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Rating of the Book: (1- 10)

I would rate the book a

9.5

This book truly is a job well done….
This book is touching………
This book will melt your hearts………

truly full of revelations and surprises!