Recently, my librarian friends and acquaintances have made me think seriously about children’s book award winners. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about how the Newbery winners and honors appeal to kids. The general consensus seems to be that they don’t. But of course that’s not entirely true – different books appeal to different readers. And I believe that this year’s crop of Newbery winners and honors, while not particularly appealing to me, are well-crafted books that will find an audience among kids who appreciate that craft.
I decided to go take a trip down memory lane and see which winners and honors I loved as a kid. I was surprised by how many there were. Of course, many of them were required reading in school, but many I picked up on my own and loved without any pushing from an adult. Below is just a smattering of those, in chronological order. Warning: You won’t find Charlotte’s Web on the list. Sorry.
Please feel free to weigh in and tell me which Newberys you loved as a kid, and which get appreciation from kids (or just one kid!) at your library.
Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski
Honor, 1942
I got this one at a Scholastic book fair in 6th grade. My mother told me I could choose a book and she’d buy it for me. I couldn’t decide between this one and another book about a disappearing bike shop (I’m pretty sure it was this one). Happy ending: she bought me both, and I loved them both, and I didn’t even know Indian Captive was a Newbery until I was an adult.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Winner, 1959
I was one of those kids who loved historical fiction. (When I found Ann Rinaldi in middle school, I was in book heaven.) I was especially fascinated by the Salem witch trials, so this was a natural draw for me.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Winner, 1961
Before I read this one, my only experience with survival stories was Hatchet, which I nearly loathed. Island of the Blue Dolphins saved the genre for me. I loved stories about resourceful girls and O’Dell’s writing seemed so beautiful to me at the time.
Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
Winner, 1967
Historical fiction! Romance! A stern but loving aunt! Relateable problems! This was an all-around winner, and I read it at the perfect time in my life for it.
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Honor, 1968
My fascination with ancient Egypt as a tween knew no bounds. This was a natural fit.
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Honor, 1974
I don’t think I know a single person who loves fantasy who does not love this series. At the time, it seemed really similar to the Narnia books, which I also loved. (As an adult, I prefer Cooper.) Mention should also be made of The Grey King, the winner from 1976.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Winner, 1979
I loved everything about this book – Raskin’s quirky writing, the very clever mystery, the fascinating characters. I read it aloud to my mother, and we kept a notebook so we could decipher the mystery as we read. It is far and away one of my best memories of my reading childhood. (It seems like this is out of print, which makes my heart break.)
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Winner, 1990
Historical fiction about the Holocaust was something I was just beginning to be interested in, and this book was a perfect fit.
Honor, 1991
Historical fiction, adventure, a strong girl heroine. This had my name written all over it.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Winner, 1994
This is a cheat, since this one is almost universally beloved. But it’s also very deserving of the award.
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
Honor, 1995
This book was so awesomely strange to me as a tween, and I loved every page of it. It holds up well on re-read, I think.
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Winner, 1996
Historical fiction, a mouthy girl protagonist, lots of talk about poop, some mild language that seemed incredibly scandalous to me at the time, plus the topic of midwifery (which also seemed pretty scandalous) all made this a winner. Mention should also be made of Catherine Called Birdy, an Honor book from 1995 – even better “swear words” in that one!
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Honor, 1997
This book holds the honor of making me love it despite the fact that it has a male protagonist (something I avoided like the plague as a kid, usually). Great voice, fascinating fantasy story, and a hell of an ending.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Honor, 1998
I’m pretty sure there is nothing not to love about this first (and still the very best) Cinderella re-telling I ever read.
This isn’t even all of them. Would I have been exposed to these wonderful books if it weren’t for the Newbery medal? Some of them, probably. But not all.
Your comment about not finding Charlotte's Web cracked me up, but you really won my heart with your dislike of Hatchet because I am right there with you.
Embarrassed to admit, though, I don't think I read ANY of these except the Lowry books.
Well to be fair, the ones I was drawn to most were genre fic, which isn't your thing usually.
I adored "The Hero and the Crown" by Robin McKinley. A princess who is a knight! Dragons! And there's this one part where the handsome knight who is traveling with her says something about how they won't get much sleep if they share a bed and… line break! Sent my twelve-year-old heart all a-flutter.
I haven't ever read The Hero and the Crown! I need to get on that.
I have a 10yo daughter who tends to fixate… When she's into something, she's into it HARDCORE for several months, and then she moves on to the next thing. In 3rd or 4th grade, she read Island of the Blue Dolphins in school, and then it was all we heard about for MONTHS. She could tell you everything you wanted to know about that girl, and a lot you didn't. 🙂
Looking at the list of award winners, these have also been hits for my girls: Crispin (2003), Shiloh (1992), and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1982).
Ramona is another one I could have included on the list. I loved the whole series. I had the Ramona diary too.
The Great Gilly Hopkins! Loved, loved, loved it! Picked it out on my own before a family trip. And PS – I picked up a softcover of The Westing Game (my fav book of all time) the other day, so no worries there.
I think Newbery's are often books kids may not pick up on their own, but that they love after a great introduction from a teacher, librarian, or parent. I still need to read Dead End!
The Westing Game was my absolute favorite when I was a kid. I loved mysteries and the whole story was just so clever – and looking back now fits right into my tastes with its undercurrent of a slightly dark humorous bite in the writing. I haven't read it in years, but I should do a re-read sometime soon.
Westing Game is definitely still in print and holds up very well. Raskin was so talented. I read all of her books this summer and it was a wonderful reading experience.
What a fun post! The Giver remains one of my favorite books of all time. I also still completely adore From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and find that book has stood the test of time for me, and readers I've given it to while at work.
I liked that one a lot too!
Not that I disagree with your choices, I loved Ella and Charlotte Doyle and several others, but I just gotta ask…why not Charlotte's Web?
I never liked stories about animals as a child.
What I learned from this post: Kimberly was still a child when ELLA ENCHANTED won the Newbery honor! I think that was…yesterday?
The Island of the Blue Dolphins was my absolute favorite as a kid. I read it over and over. I also loved Number the Stars (which we read in school).
The Westing Game is one of my all time favorite books. I've probably read it 30 times. I have used it with middle school students. It is awesome.
I l-o-v-e-d Island of the Blue Dolphins. Still do. After reading it as a child, I dreamed of collecting abalone, taming a wolf, and living alone on an island. I read the book again recently, and although I don't want to live alone on an island, I still think it would be pretty cool to tame a wolf.
http://literarylunchbox.blogspot.com/2011/10/island-of-blue-dolphins.html
I've been thinking about doing a list like this for MONTHS, but haven't gotten around to it.
Also, I love Ella Enchanted so very much.
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a winner that I still read to my 5th grade students and that they still LOVE. They love the setting, they love the idea of running away, they love the mystery of why Mrs. Frankweiler is telling the story. Somehow it never gets old.