My Favorite Berry

Post title from The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  "Whoever heard of a berry with only one R?"

 

Each year since 1922 the American Library Association has awarded the Newbery Medal to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.  For several years, I have made an effort to read as many of the winners as possible and have had a ball.  The subjects and styles of the books are varying: some are entirely unengaging for me (...Strawberry Girl) but others make my heart sing (over and over). 

On Monday at 8 AM the 2014 Newbery Award winner will be announced from Philadelphia.  You can bet I'll be up early, putting holds on the books that are announced!  In celebration of that announcement, I wanted to share a few of my most favorite cherished Newbery books, both medal winners and honors.

A Bakers’ Dozen

of (some of)

My Favorite Newbery Books

 

A Year Down Yonder - I am not sure there is a literary character I love more than Grandma Dowdle.   A Year Down Yonder is a sequel to A Long Way from Chicago (not pictured - 13 is a hard number of pictures to work with...) about Grandma Dowdle's grandkids who have to come live with her (first during the summers and then for a whole year at a time).  She is a force to be reckoned with and most of the town lives in fear of Grandma Dowdle, but her heart is in the right place and she is a good woman.  It takes the kids a long time to learn that.  I read all three books (a more recent one was added titled A Season of Gifts) at least once a year.

I, Juan de Pareja - The fictionalized story of the (real) slave of the famed Spanish painter, Velazquez.  Juan de Pareja recounts his own history as slave of his wonderful master: I enjoy the descriptions of the art, the friendship between Juan and the whole Velazquez family, and the Spanish culture that forms the setting throughout.  When people ask me my favorite book, I tell them this one.

Hattie Big Sky - I have read this three times in two years and love it every time (as a note, this is a great audiobook and would be perfect for a road trip).  An orphan named Hattie, through unusual circumstances, inherits her late uncle's land in Montana.  There is a caveat, and that is that she has a year to prove up on the claim, which includes setting so much fence on the property and also planting so many acres of the land.  As a teenager she sets out to finally have a place called her own.

 

Miracles on Maple Hill - Since reading this book I have on my bucket list "watching sugaring season somewhere."  This is a beautiful telling of living on Maple Hill and experiencing the daily miracles of life and rebirth, both in nature and in a family.

 

Heart of a Samurai - A captivating adventure!  Heart of a Samurai is a rough history of the first Japanese man to come to America and his eventual return back to Japan.  I was fascinated by the contrasting cultures as well as life on the water.  (Note: Margi Preus also wrote Shadow on the Mountain about Norway during World War II and it is fascinating.)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate - Calpurnia Tate shares a special connection with her grandfather: they both love the great outdoors.  They work together to gather information about the world around them, even while Calpurnia struggles against the system that girls and women in her time are "supposed to" fall into.

 

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - This is based on Chinese folklore, about a poor girl who goes in search of the Old Man of the Moon to ask him to change her family's fortune.  The premise and style were so different from what I typically read; I was enchanted by the rich uniqueness of it.  

The Wednesday Wars - If I was listing these in any particular order, this one would be very near the top.  Holling Hoodhood is the only kid in his class that doesn't leave for religious activities each Wednesday afternoon.  While his classmates are gone, he is forced to spend time with his English teacher.  There is war in Holling's house and in the world around him and his teacher (bless her heart) forces him to read Shakespeare through it all.  

Princess Academy - As a general rule, I dislike princesses.  This book was nothing like what I had imagined.  A village in a remote mountain is forced to send all their girls to be trained to become the princess.  The protagonist is one of the girls there, and the one most likely to be chosen, but there are many struggles along the way.  A very unexpected storyline for me.

A Single Shard - Tree-ear is a young boy in Korea who is barely surviving while scavenging for food.  He falls in with a potter, who makes magnificent and elegant works.  Over time Tree-ear begins to train with him and learn how to create beautiful things.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - One of the best books I've ever read: this one just sucks me in.  An interesting tale about highly intelligent rats: their history and what they are working together to accomplish.  As a testament to how great this book is, I might just add that more than one million copies have been sold. 

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - The story of two children who decide to run away into New York City and live, in all places, inside the art museum.  I love the descriptions of each area of the museum every time (I especially revel in the accuracy!)  The two of them stumble upon an art mystery while there, but they have the benefit of night-time research.

For the full list of winners and honors, click here.

-Rachel