The intent of this project has been to focus on reading the Newbery award winners from 1922-1947 and to analyze and compare the books

Estes, Pamela Jean

English

Ouachita Baptist University

Ouachita Baptist UniversityScholarly Commons @ OuachitaHonors Theses Carl Goodson Honors Program1974An Analysis of Newbery Awards: 1922-1947Pamela Jean EstesOuachita Baptist UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_thesesPart of the American Literature Commons, and the Children's and Young Adult LiteratureCommonsThis Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Carl Goodson Honors Program at Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. It has been acceptedfor inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. For more information, please contactmortensona@obu.edu.Recommended CitationEstes, Pamela Jean, "An Analysis of Newbery Awards: 1922-1947" (1974). Honors Theses. 441.https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/441OUACHI'J~A BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES .. ,, AN ANALYSIS OF NEWBERY AWARDS 1922-1947 SUBMITTED TO MRS . DOROTHY CHAPEL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF ~[!Jill REQUIREMENTS FOJt HONORS SPECIAL STUDIES Pam Estes b" <' -~ 'Mi r l ~ L.J I . ' !;;.·~· ~)i< -~ ~~1 ;. 9i&- ~J ct1-i~ ·II &..;c;,s cjT : • The intent of this project has been to focus on read-ing the Newbery award winners from 1922-1947 and to analyze and compare the books, In 1921, at the American Library Association meeting, Mr. Frederic Melcher proposed an annual award to be given in the name of John Newbery, the first publisher of children's books. 1 • Newbery had encouraged the best authors to write specifically for childre~ thus the award would be given to books that had made a contribution to children's literature. 2 • The award is determined by a select committee of American Library Association members according to to the following ' criteria: The author shall be a ci tizen or a resident of the United States, Someone living here temp-orarily is not eligible. His cont:cibution shall be an original and creative piece ,f work. It shall be the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children," original in conception, fine in workmanship and artistically true. Reprints and compilations are not eligible for consideration. The book need not be written solely for children. The judgment of the voting librarians shall decide whether a book is a 'con-tribution to the literature for children.' The •. Committee of Award considers only the books of one calendar year, and does not pass judgment on an author's previous work or other work during that year outside the volume that may be namect.3• lLee Kingman, editor, Newbery ~ Caldercott Medal Books 1956 -19.§.2, ( Boston, Horn Book, Inc., 196 .5), p. l. i I 2Edna Johnson and Carrie E. Scott , editors , Antho~ of Children's Literature, ( Boston, Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1935), page 859. ---3Ibid. , page 8.59 • I ( . ' /' I f r. ,, . ' I I The first award went t o HeYJril\. W. Van Loon's Stor;y: of Mankind in 1922. 'rhi s wor k is :for adul t~\ reading although paradoxically it is a s trong c ontribu t i on to children's 2 literature. Yet the vocabula ry i s no t above the level of the junior high student. The scope and t heme of the history is also comprehensible for this age group. The book, illustra-ted by the author, follows the upward 6limb of man from prehistory through cultures, revolut ions, and the Great War. His viewpoint is fascinating; it is f antastic how he draws all the facts together in an interest ing. coherent story. Hugh .Lofting's second Dooli ttle s tory, T_l!e Voyage of Doctor Doolittle, won the 1923 award. His delightful stor:y is a fantasy-type adventure told from the retrospective view of the now grown ten year old who went with Doolittle. The plot, action, and description a r e sol idly strong. Perhaps the characters themselve s contr ibute t he most to the story. Every animal has personali t y, and t he humans match each other for uniqueness. The language is simple while at the same time colorful; short chapter s break the story for younger readers. It is an ent er t a i ning c.nd humorous story above all else. In 1921+ the c ommittee chose 'l' h~ Dark Frigate by Charles B. Hawes. A thrilling s ea adventure written in very un-American stilted language, t his story has a weak ending; yet there is action of t he physically violent nature and beautiful descrip t ion. The basic plot believable. I' : ~. J.' ~ ~.; r1 ... ( ( 1 • ' 3 Didacticism is not rampant. The 1925 award went to a book of South American folk tales by Charles J. Finger. Easy to read, the nine teen stories in !ales from Sil:ver Lands emphasize goodness and beauty. The author t ies the stories together with personal experiences, These f ascinating stories also focus on strength and wisdom, generally seen as- coexisting virtues, These stories would probably be interesting even to list-ening audiences. Shen of the Sea by A. B. Chrisman>which won in 1926, also was a collecti on of stories. The se are set in China. The author uses the Chinese words and gives English equiv-a1ents. There is no connecting material; the stories are autonomous . They are picturesque and culturally enlighten-ing . Stories are simple with slight Chinese didacticism. William R. James' Smoky received the award in 1927. A story in the traditions of Blac!f . .J3e_~_:uty and the American western, Smoky is written in cowboy substandard lingo. James creates empathy for the covvhorGe with vivid character-izations of Smoky and the people. Easy t o read and of interest to almost all ;woungsters, the plot is realistic. The story of a pigeon's life won the 1928 award for D. G. Muker ji. Gay:-Nec}f_ is a story pac ked with insights on Indian culture, As in Smol_Qc, there is a correlation drawn between human-animal relationships and success, The plot has several complications wh5.ch result from the .:( ,' I ~ . 4 geographical/ r loeations . In 1929 'rhe ~rrumpeter: o.( Krako~ by Eric P. Kelly won the coveted award. Set in Pol and with an engrossing plot, it is based on history and the author's imaginative vision. Understandable moral and philosophical implications do not hinder the action. The story i s appealing because of characters, rea lism, and language. A girl's stor y, Hi tt.Y, : H~r First Hundred Years was vot ed t he most di s t inguished contribution f or 19 )0. Hachel L. Field uses an unusual f irst person f orm to tell the various adventures of a doll. Through her eyes we see several girls, the i r f amilies a nd values, and some rather contrived situations. Al though primarily a book interest-ing to .girls, boys would proba bl y enjoy it, too. In 1931 Eli zabeth Coatsworth won with The Cat who Went to Heaven. One of the s hortest books ever to win, this is also one of the mos t universal . Although i t has a Buddhist slant, the character i s a f orgiving God. :Dependent on illustrations, it i s possible t hat it would have won the Cald~cott had it been i n exi s t enc e . ) The ending seems com-pletely uncontrived and natur a l. In 1932 tht? winning book was Laura Adams Armer's s.ttE!lybeautiful ThE;. Waterle s s lVfountaint. II pological fact with Nava ho l egend , Arme r tells through her story universal trut hs . The I ndian is r eveal ed a s a pers on; with a cons t ant sen se of beau ty and high religious ideals , ..·'• \ ,J • I 5 the hero matures in pilgrimage. This book is of reality and of engrossing personality. Elizabeth Forman IJewis won in 1933 with the book Young Fu of the Upper Yangtse. Set in a Chinese city, this story follows a boy growing up into rights and responsibilities. Chinese culture is well represented; the built-in problems of generation gaps, marriage, and trade are not avoided, The boolc has fairly simple language, an excellent glossary, and an appendix. Finally., in 19342 a biography was given the award, Invincible Loui .§_~ is written to show not just fact but also to show whys to Louisa May Alcott's character and writing$. Cornelia L, Meigs is able to reveal the beauty that came through the fire of sorrows for Miss Alcott, Primarily of interest to girls, this biography is fairly honest in the portrai.t of Louisa May Alcott. In 1935 the Newbery award went to Monica Shannon for Dobry, Although a "slow starter" this book is a realistic narrative, Wftthout any violence or badness, the story has nonetheless colorful action. The plot is complimented by grandfa:ther's storytelling and by Bulgarian customs, Again in this book there is emphasis on wisdom, goodness, and, especially for the maturing Dobry, beau ty. . . I Caddie Woodlawn by Carol R. Brink received the award in 1936, Focusing on a personable 12-year-old tomboy, the book touches on human relationships, roles, and self under-6 standing, There is a strong American feeling in the Old World inheritance conflict, Compositely the plot is well constructed and believable. The vocabulary is clear and strong. In 1937 still another story about a girl was given the award, Ruth Sawyer's Roller ?kates, set in New York City, relates the adventures of an "orphaned" ten ~ year_ old, There are clashes with vandals, the teacher, and Aunt Emily, as well as escapades with Peter and little Trinket, Death is confronte~and from the acceptance of reality comes the maturing character of not only child but also adults. The book states clearly the opinion that children should be allowed freedom and equality. In 1938 the committee chose J'he_ White Stag -by Kate Seredy. White Sta_g traces with fietious history the heritage of Attila the Hun, The se people are portrayed, not as vicious barbarians, but rather as religious, dedicated individuals who move west following the Stag in search of their Promised Land. In beautiful graphic language , Seredy gives strong character to the :~~gyar race, Elizabeth Enright's story of a spunky active nine -and-a -half-year- old received the award in 1939. Thimble Summer covers the short span of "school 's out" to the end of the fair before school begins again. Se t within the environs of a Minnesota farm community, the plot revolves on relationships with family and friends. ' I i 7 Then in 1940 a biography once more was awarded "the most distinguished contribution. " Danie l Boone by James H. Daugherty is beautifully illustrated and entertaining while remaining factual. The author slights Boone's adoption by the Indians. However, he ably pre sents the armed conflicts without using blooay language. In 1941 the winning book was Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry, The story is about a fifteen -year_old boy who1 as chief's son, s hould be a leader among his peers, yet who is afraid of the sea, In fast hard action he over-comes fear to claim his name, Stou t Heart. Call It Courage is a book of indepertdenc e and self-reliance , It is excel-lently plotted and written. The Matchlock Gun won in 1942 for author Walter D. Edmonds, A simple story with the moral that obedience assures success. The New York Dutc h charactBrs are painted briefly. Because of the mult i tude of bright pictures and the simple words, this story seems geared for the younger reader. 1943 added Adam of the Road to the prestigious list of Newbery award books. Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining makes the search for dog and parent exciting in this story of a young minstrel's adventures. A great story, it holds the reader's attention without didacticism or contrivances . The life of medeival minstrels is tied with pieces of history. ,_ J ·" j • 8 Esther Forbes' story set in the American Revolutionary era, ~.Q.!:milll. T~"!}}a in, received the 19'+4 award. Focusing on not merely political developments and s ocia l conflicts but primarily on an orphaned boy becoming a man, the book has a plot that follows naturally from the well-developed charac-teri~ations. For the most part the language is easy , but the tone of the book and .Johnny's age make it more suitable for older readers. Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson won in 1945. Both in text and illustration, Laws on portrays the beautiful as-pects of people and animals co-existing . The plot is simple enough, but the religious ending makes the book a classic •. Still it is a book with humor and veris imilitude. Lois Lenski received the award in 1946 for Strawberry Girl. In the f oreward she states her purpose in writing isa "to present vivid, sympathetic pictures of t he real life of different Americans against authentic backgrounds." In the story of Florida crackers, she accomplishes all of the above. Finally, the 1947 Newbery went to Miss Hickory by Carolyn S . Bailey. The tale of an applewood and hickory nut doll told from her vantage point is unique from Hitty because animals converse with Miss Hickory_, a nd thi s plot i s accom-plished virtually without humans. J ust an unassuming story with entertainment as purpose and not moralizing , it is of most interest to girls around eight . . ... 9 COMPAHt~.'riVE 'l1Li.BLE Year Locale Duration Focused Character 1923 Engl and & s . Am 1 year male 1924 England 5years male 1925 South AmE::rica ----- male 1926 China -----male 1927 u. s . ( w. ) 10-15 years hors e 1928 Indi.a & France 5 years bird 1929 Poland 1 year male 1930 u. s (E • ) 100 years female 1931 India 1 month cat 1932 u. s . ( w. ) 6 months male 1933 Chi.na 18 months male 1934 u.s. (E •) & Eur. 85 years female 1935 Bulgaria 1 year male 1936 u. s . ( w. ) l year' female 1937 u. s. (E , ) l year fema le 1938 Hungary 3 generat ions male 1939 u. s . ( w. ) 3 months female .191-tO u. s . ( w. ) 100 years male 1941 Polynesia 3 months male 1942 u. s. (E. ) 1 day male 194 3 England 18 months male 191+4 u.s . (E. ) 18 months male 1945 u.s. ( E .) 10 months rabbit • 1946 u. s . (E •) 1 year female 191+7 u. s . ( E, ) 6 months female 10 the preceding table shows, the stories are se t in many different places. Europe i s the setting for all or part of eight books; the Asian area f ive; South America two; and the United States thirteen. Of the thirteen set in the United , Sta~es, eight are east of the 1Vlissif.$sippi. The trend went. toward U. s . locales only after 191-to . Time span within the stories ranges from less than a day in The Ma tchlocls_ Gun to Hi tt;y • s one hundred years . The ~verag~ . for all stories i s 14 years. Although women outnumber men as authors 1L~ to 12, of the focused j'characters 14 are male, 7 are female, and 4 are ani-mals. None of the books are excessively physically v i'olent; are several that have no physical confrontations at They ares 1930-32, 1934-35, 1939 , and 1947. The firs·t , award book is completely different from all :tthe others. The 1934 and 194·0 books are biographies. The 1925 and 1926 books are story collections. Four are animal Two are about dolls. The books from 1924, 1929, 1938, 1942-4L~ depend on ~ historical situation. In .conclus ion, no trend can be pinp ointed except the one toward American set t ings. Years after the awards were given, these books remain worthy contributions to 

An Analysis of Newbery Awards: 1922-1947

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An Analysis of Newbery Awards: 1922-1947

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