Working a homestead in South Dakota in 1910 would be hard for anyone. Yet, four orphaned sibilings are put to the task. If you enjoy reading books like Little House on the Prairie, you will enjoy following the story of these four as they battle weather, bad neighbors, claim jumping, and the worry of having enough money to take them all the way to establishing their claim.
No matter whether you are 12 or 20, you will find yourself turning the pages of this book enthralled with the story Marian Hurd McNeely has created.
---Le Coeur de l'Artiste

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First published in 1929, and chosen as one of six Newbery Honor Books in 1930 - along with A Daughter of the Seine, Pran of Albania, The Tangle-Coated Horse and Other Tales, Vaino: A Boy of New Finland, and Little Blacknose - Marian Hurd McNeely's The Jumping-Off Place is an immensely engaging work of historical fiction, which follows the story of four young homesteaders in South Dakota, in the early years of the twentieth century. When their beloved Uncle Jim dies, the four Linville siblings - Becky, Dick, Phil and Joan - decide to follow his plan (elaborately outlined in a notebook left for them) to homestead out west, on South Dakota's newly opened Rosebud Reservation. Leaving behind their home in Platteville, Wisconsin, they head for the endless prairie, where they encounter back-breaking work, daunting weather, and a family of hostile claim-jumpers whose many acts of vandalism and intimidation range from broken windows to assault. They also encounter community, a beautiful land, a new sense of purpose (in the case of Becky's school-teaching), and a place they can call their own...

I enjoyed The Jumping-Off Place - named for Dallas, South Dakota, the last "jumping-off" place before heading into the prairie - immensely, gobbling it down in two days! It immediately grabs the reader's attention, and doesn't let go. Some of the incidents - as when Phil and Autie Wubber are hung over the side of a butte by (presumably) the nefarious Welps - are very serious indeed, but the overall feeling is cheerful, with a sense of hope, and of adapting to new circumstances, prevalent throughout. I admired all four Linville children, and the other homesteaders - how hard they worked! - and can understand why the South Dakota State Historical Society reprinted the book, in 2008, as it documents an important aspect of the history of that part of the country. I also understand why this has been compared favorably with Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books (McNeely's was published first).

That said, this is not entirely unproblematic, as a story for contemporary children. Teachers, parents and librarians should note that there is mention of "dirty Indians," and "working like a n*gger," in the course of the story. The former appears once, spoken by Aunt Jule, whom the children do not like, and who is a character held up to ridicule by the narrative. Although the children themselves later see Indians, on the train, they themselves do not refer to them, or think of them (as far as the narrative indicates) in this way. The latter also appears once, in a casual remark about working hard, and - in the absence of any African-American characters - does not seem to indicate any specific racial animus on the part of characters or author. Still, thoughtful adults should probably be aware of this, and stand ready to discuss the issue of changing ideas about race and language, with young readers. They might also want to discuss the historical reality behind this story - the theft of treaty land that makes the homesteading possible in the first place - as it is not something that the author references in any way.

Despite these issues, The Jumping-Off Place is worth reading, both for its own story, and for its depiction of a specific place and time, and a specific experience. I understand that McNeely based it upon her own life, and that really shines through in the narrative, which is convincing, and at times moving. ( )

Four orphaned children set off to settle their uncle's claim in South Dakota by living on the land for 14 months. They endure the hardships of the prairie, including a squatter living on the land who does spiteful things to them and their neighbors. Because of the setting and the connection to homesteading, readers are certain to compare the book to the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, but the time periods of the settlement are different. This book was actually written before the Little House books. One must remember the time period in which this book was written when reading some of the words in the book. As a librarian, my favorite part of the book was when the library was developed. This was a quite pleasant read and certainly deserved the Newbery Honor that it was awarded. It is far more readable and will be appreciated more by today's younger readers than many other Newbery Medal and Honor books of that period. ( )

Early in the 20th century, four orphaned children from small town Wisconsin carry out their recently deceased uncle's plans for homesteading in South Dakota. Their uncle lingered long enough after a stroke to provide detailed instructions for the children to follow. To fulfill the requirements for homesteaders, they must live on the property for 14 months and cultivate at least 10 acres. Once they gain title to the claim, they can sell it and use the income from the sale to get a good start in life.

Although none of the four children are twins, the book reminded me a lot of the Bobbsey Twins books I loved as a child. The children pair up in the same way as the Bobbsey Twins. Seventeen-year-old Becky and 15-year-old Dick work well as a team to manage the family finances and household chores. Preteens Phil and Joan have chores to do, but they also have time for school and play.

The language of the book hasn't aged quite as well as the story. A couple of references to Native Americans and African Americans are typical for that era but wouldn't be used by today's authors for children. This would be a quick and enjoyable way for family historians to learn about homesteaders and homesteading in the early 20th century. ( )

Discovering this book was a lovely surprise, and I wish I had read it when I was in my grade-school Laura Ingalls Wilder phase. Homesteading is really the only thing The Jumping-Off Place has in common with the Little House books, besides the location in South Dakota and the centrality of family, and it is written with a slightly older reader in mind. It's a pity that Marian Hurd McNeely died so young, and that this is the only book of hers to be both in print and readily available in libraries and bookstores. ( )