Home/Newbery by Year/Newbery Title Index/Newbery Subject Index/Newbery Author Index

1954

Editor's Note: Many of the books are out of print. The header information will be as complete as I can make it.

... And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold (Ty Crowell Co., $13.56, fourth-grade level). ISBN: 0690091184.	The Medalist A boy in rural New Mexico chafes until he is deemed old enough to join the men of his extended family as they take their sheep to the highlands for the summer. Leisurely paced, perfect for the topic. Good details on a shepherd's life. Positive look at Mexican-Americans.
All Alone by Claire Hutchet Bishop (Viking, fourth-grade level). Out of print	Honor Book A 10-year-old boy comes of age while spending the summer guarding his family's cows on a high pasture in the Swiss Alps. The boy rebels against the norms of his village, which demand that he speak to no one and help no one, even his neighbors. A natural disaster forces him to join forces with another boy. Their actions unite the village, which undergoes a dramatic change of heart. This is a strange little book that hasn't aged well. One could argue, if one where of a theoretical bent, that this is a thinly veiled argument for Communism.
Shadrach by Meindert DeJong (Econo-Clad, $12.20, fifth-grade level).ISBN: 0833512633.	Honor Book A small, sickly boy growing up in Holland swings between bravery and tears while getting his family barn ready for a pet rabbit. I have to laud DeJong for his amazing ability to get inside the head and heart of a small boy. But that, too, is the problem with the book. Sometimes its hard to emphasize with the main character because he's always crying, worrying or doing something stupid. This is not one of his finest books and doesn't stand up well to the test of time.
Hurry Home, Candy by Meindert DeJong (HarperCollins, $15.89, fifth-grade level). ISBN: 0060214864.	Honor Book A puppy grows up in harsh conditions at a home and then in the wild as a stray before finding a loving master. This is one of the most powerful animal rights books I've ever read. It's heart-wrenching. The empathy the author feels for the animal is amazing. The story can be stretched to symbolize the abuse children suffer at the hands of adults. Shiloh would be a nice companion piece.
Theodore Roosevelt, Fighting Patriot by Clara Ingram Judson (Follett, fifth-grade level). Out of print	Honor Book The author provides a simple biography of Theodore Roosevelt, one of our most socially progressive presidents. I enjoy Judson's work because she tends to provide the highlights of her subject's personal  lives. What I don't like is her penchant for inventing dialogue from real or imagined people. In any case, kids will get a sampling of why Roosevelt was such an interesting man.
Magic Maize by Conrad and Mary Buff (Houghton Mifflin/E.M. Hale and Co., fourth-grade level). Out of print	Honor Book A boy descended from Mayans tries to break free from the cultural bonds that bind him in modern Guatemala. The boy is eager to modernize himself and seek help from scientists from North America but his heavily traditional father fears anything new. The boy and his mother conspire to let him stretch his wings. The father admits he will never change but allows the boy to get an education and better his life. The story is a little dated but would find sympathetic readers among the immigrant children in our schools. They two must walk a thin path between two cultures.

Copyright David Ross 2003