Jumping-Off Place - Marian Hurd McNeely

Set in 1910, "The Jumping-Off Place" is the story of four orphaned children who leave their home in Wisconsin to "prove up" their claim to a parcel of land in South Dakota. The four Linville children -- Becky, age seventeen, and her younger siblings Dick, Phil and Joan -- had planned to take on this opportunity with the help and guidance of their Uncle Jim. His untimely death means they must "prove up" the claim on their own. Uncle Jim had planned carefully, and had left detailed instructions for Becky and her brother Jim. The children know it will be difficult -- but just how difficult they only discover when they arrive in South Dakota. They will need to overcome the challenges of summer drought, winter blizzards, and claim-jumping squatters to "prove up" their claim. They'll also need to make a place for themselves in their new community, and earn the trust and support of their neighbors. "The Jumping-Off Place" has been recognized as a Newbery Honor book for the year 1930. - Summary by Tom Booker