Jip, His Story
Encyclopedia
Jip, His Story is a 1996 children's book written by U.S. novelist Katherine Paterson
. Set in Vermont
during the 1850s, it focuses on a 12-year-old orphan named Jip, who was abandoned as an infant and mistaken for a gypsy because of his skin color. Jip works at a poor farm where mentally ill residents are housed. One of the residents, named Putnam Nelson, appears to be a lunatic, although Jip discovers he is actually very intelligent man with serious mental health problems. Jip also discovers that he is the part-black child of an escaped slave, and that he has been claimed as the property of a slave-owning farmer. Jip and Putnam Nelson escape together to the underground railroad
.
Jip, His Story won the 1997 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
. In 2005, the book was turned into a musical by Danny Duncan and Emily Klion and performed at The Marsh
. This adaptation won the 2008 American Harmony Prize.
Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson is an American author of children's novels. She wrote Bridge to Terabithia and has received several of the major international awards for children's literature.- Early life:...
. Set in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
during the 1850s, it focuses on a 12-year-old orphan named Jip, who was abandoned as an infant and mistaken for a gypsy because of his skin color. Jip works at a poor farm where mentally ill residents are housed. One of the residents, named Putnam Nelson, appears to be a lunatic, although Jip discovers he is actually very intelligent man with serious mental health problems. Jip also discovers that he is the part-black child of an escaped slave, and that he has been claimed as the property of a slave-owning farmer. Jip and Putnam Nelson escape together to the underground railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
Jip, His Story won the 1997 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction is an American award established in 1982 to encourage authors to focus on historical fiction. The award was created by Scott O’Dell, author of Island of the Blue Dolphins and 25 other children's books, in hopes of increasing young readers' interest in...
. In 2005, the book was turned into a musical by Danny Duncan and Emily Klion and performed at The Marsh
The Marsh
The Marsh is an American theater company that specializes in developing new performance. It is located in the Mission District of San Francisco, California.-History:...
. This adaptation won the 2008 American Harmony Prize.