Special Collections
Newbery Award Winners
- Table View
- List View
The Hundred Dresses
by Eleanor Estes and Louis SlobodkinAt the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn't and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it's too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda's classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again."
Newbery Honor book
The Silver Pencil
by Alice DalglieshJanet Laidlaw's father gives her a silver pencil "for her stories." When she is forced to leave Trinidad, the only country she has ever known, Janet tries to find both a home and her life's work.
A Newbery Honor Book.
Abraham Lincoln's World
by Genevieve Foster and Joanna FosterOriginally published in 1944, Foster earned her reputation by her masterful display of "horizontal history" telling the story of world events in the geo-political sphere, while giving as much importance to advances in science, medicine, music, literature, and exploration.
Thus, while Abe Lincoln was a boy romping the woods of Kentucky, Thomas Jefferson was completing his eighth year as president, George III reigned in Great Britain and Napolean was about to meet his Waterloo. Beethoven and Sir Walter Scott were at the height of their creative powers, while Victor Hugo was staging plays at school. By the time Lincoln was old enough to help his father chop wood, other young boys and girls were being prepared for the future parts they would play. Harriet Beecher was reading anything she could get her hands on, Charles Darwin was collecting toads, crabs and shells, and the impoverished boy Dickens was working in a shoe blacking factory in London. When Lincoln opened his shop in Salem, David Livingstone was opening up deepest Africa, and thousands of Americans were opening up the West on the Oregon Trail. The spirit of freedom was moving around the globe as the abolitionist movement gained power in the States and serfdom saw its demise in Russia. Technologically the world was bursting with the invention of the telegraph, the railroad and the steamboat.
With her whimsical and informative illustrations and timelines Foster has magnificently captured a remarkable age and a remarkable man.
Newbery Honor Winner
Rabbit Hill
by Robert LawsonIt has been a while since Folks lived in the Big House, and an even longer time has passed since there has been a garden at the House. All the animals of the Hill are very excited about the new Folks moving in, and they wonder how things are going to change. It’s only a matter of time before the animals of the Hill find out just who is moving in, and they may be a little bit surprised when they do.
Newbery Medal Winner
The Moved-Outers
by Florence Crannell MeansThe captivating story of a Japanese-American family in a World War II internment camp who struggle to retain their dignity and identity as Americans.
Newbery Honor book
Justin Morgan Had a Horse
by Marguerite HenryJoel Goss knows that Little Bub is a special colt, even though he's a runt. And when schoolteacher Justin Morgan asks Joel to break the colt in, Joel is thrilled! Soon word about Little Bub has spread throughout the entire Northeast--this spirited colt can pull heavier loads than a pair of oxen. And run faster than thoroughbreds! This is the story of the little runt who became the father of the world-famous breed of American horses--the Morgan.
Newbery Medal Honors book.
Strawberry Girl
by Lois LenskiThe Newbery Medal–winning childhood classic of life on a Florida farm—part of the Regional series from the author of the Mr. Small picture books. Birdie and her family are trying to build a farm in Florida. But it&’s not easy with the heat, droughts, and cold snaps—and neighbors that don&’t believe in fences. But Birdie won&’t give up on her dream of strawberries, and her family won&’t let those Slaters drive them from their home! This Newberry Medal–winning novel presents a realistic picture of life on the Florida frontier. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s estate.
The Avion My Uncle Flew
by Cyrus Fisher and Richard FloetheSpending the summer in a dull French village is not what Johnny had in mind . . . but soon he’s hot on the trail of a Nazi spy!
When twelve-and-a-half-year-old Johnny Littlehorn’s dad returns from the front lines and announces they’re spending the summer in France, Johnny is appalled. He doesn’t understand why they’re going to France when they could stay home at their Wyoming ranch instead. But that’s before he discovers an old German pistol hidden in a loaf of bread.
When Johnny arrives, he finds the village of Saint-Chamant anything but boring. With the help of his new friends Suzanne and Charles, Johnny follows a winding trail that leads to a fugitive spy and a stolen fortune. Before long, he’s learning French, helping his oncle Paul build a real airplane, and unraveling an evil Nazi plot!
A Newbery Honor Book
The Hidden Treasure of Glaston
by Eleanore M. JewettFrom the book jacket:
This is a glowing, intimate story of medieval England, absorbing for all who love adventure, beauty, authentic details of the period and, above all, books themselves.
Young Hugh, a cripple with a love of ancient manuscripts inherited from his dead mother, is left by his mysterious father one stormy night in the sanctuary of the great Abbey of Glastonbury. Assisted by the good Brother John, librarian of the monastery, by his delightful friend, Dickon, and by the half-crazy songs and stories of a strange hermit, Hugh pieces together clues from partly destroyed documents which lead him on an exciting trail to a thrilling discovery, to recovered health, and to a glimpse of the Holy Grail itself.
A Newbery Honor book.
The Heavenly Tenants
by William MaxwellThis supernatural tale was originally published in 1946. In the story, the Marvell family goes away on vacation, leaving their farm, pets, and livestock home alone, to be taken care of by August, the hired man. But August fails to come. That night, the neighborhood is roused by an unusual glow. When August goes to the farm to investigate, he finds that it is under the care of mysterious beings-the twelve signs of the zodiac. This story sparkles with fantasy and humorous realism that both adults and children will appreciate.
A Newbery Honor Book
Miss Hickory
by Carolyn Sherwin BaileyMost dolls lead a comfortable but unadventurous life. This was true of Miss Hickory until the fateful day that her owner, Ann, moves from her New Hampshire home to attend school in Boston—leaving Miss Hickory behind. For a small doll whose body is an apple-wood twig and whose head is a hickory nut, the prospect of spending a New Hampshire winter alone is frightening indeed. In this classic modern day fairy tale, what’s a doll to do?
Newbery Medal Winner
The Cow-tail Switch and Other West African Stories
by Harold Courlander and George HerzogThe Cow-tail Switch, based on a parable found by George Herzog in Liberia, is a type of story which has a special attraction for the West African audience, in that the audience itself participates in the working out of the solution.
Newbery Honor Book
Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite HenryMarguerite Henry&’s beloved story of a wild horse&’s gentle colt—winner of a Newbery Honor!On the island of Chincoteague, off the coasts of Virginia and Maryland, lives a centuries-old band of wild ponies. Among them is the most mysterious of all, Phantom, a rarely-seen mare that eludes all efforts to capture her—that is, until a young boy and girl lay eyes on her and determine that they can&’t live without her.The frenzied roundup that follows on the next Pony Penning Day does indeed bring Phantom into their lives, in a way they never would have suspected. Phantom would forever be a creature of the wild. But her gentle, loyal colt Misty is another story altogether...
Li Lun, Lad of Courage
by Carolyn TreffingerBanished to a mountaintop to learn to grow rice, Li Lun proves his courage as he fights the elements and his own loneliness to make his rice seedlings flourish where no one else has for generations.
A Newbery Honor book.
The 21 Balloons
by William Pène du BoisProfessor William Waterman Sherman just wants to be alone. So he decides to take a year off and spend it crossing the Pacific Ocean in a hot-air balloon the likes of which no one has ever seen. But when he is found after just three weeks floating in the Atlantic among the wreckage of twenty hot-air balloons, naturally, the world is eager to know what happened. How did he end up with so many balloons... and in the wrong ocean?
Newbery Award winner.
My Father's Dragon
by Ruth Stiles GannettWhen Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and underappreciated baby flying dragon, he stows away on a ship and travels to Wild Island to rescue the dragon.
A Newbery Honor book
Seabird
by Holling Clancy HollingSeabird is an ivory gull, carved by the youngest member of a whaling ship. Through Seabird's eyes, scenes of beauty, danger and excitement from every ocean are revealed.
Newbery Honor book.
Daughter of the Mountains
by Louise RankinMomo has always wanted a Lhasa terrier--a dog like the ones the Buddhist priests hold sacred in their temples. And her dream is realized when a trader brings Pempa to her parents' tea house. But after a band of robbers steals the valuable dog and quickly escapes with him into the mountains, Momo is determined to catch them and recover her beloved Pempa. To do so, she must follow the Great Trade Route across the mountains--a path that most people avoid, and which will surely put her life at risk. Momo undertakes a dangerous journey from the mountains of Tibet to the city of Calcutta, in search of her stolen dog Pempa.
A Newbery Honor Book
King of the Wind
by Marguerite HenryHe was named “Sham” for the sun, this golden-red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco’s stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. Although he was swift as the desert winds, Sham’s pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners.This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France, and finally to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned Godolphin Arabian, whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior thoroughbred. Sham’s speed—like his story—has become legendary.
Kildee House
by Rutherford MontgomeryWhen Jerome Kildee, a solitary man, builds a home in a redwood forest in California, he takes in some skunks and raccoons, but as they begin to multiply, Kildee looks to two human neighbors for help.
Newbery Honor Book.
Tree of Freedom
by Rebecca CaudillThe Venables move to Carolina from Kentucky in 1780. They must make a new life there while contending with threats associated with the advancing Revolution. They would need to fight in order to retain their freedom.
A Newbery Honor Book.
The Door in the Wall
by Marguerite De AngeliAfter losing the use of his legs, the son of a powerful nobleman in 14th-century England sets out to prove his courage and his right to be recognized by the king.
Newbery Medal Winner
Abraham Lincoln
by Clara Ingram JudsonThis Newbery Honor Book—from a three-time Newbery Honor author—paints an indelible portrait of the prairie president.
Clara Ingram Judson presents Lincoln in all his gauntness, gawkiness, and greatness: a backwoods boy who became President and saved the Union. Judson’s careful reading is enlivened by her visits to his home and vivid descriptions of the Lincoln family’s pioneer life. She reveals the unforgettable story from his boyhood and days as a shopkeeper and lawyer, to Lincoln’s first elected offices and his election as president, the Civil War, and assassination.
Amos Fortune
by Elizabeth YatesWinner of the Newbery Medal!
When Amos Fortune was only fifteen years old, he was captured by slave traders and brought to Massachusetts, where he was sold at auction. Although his freedom had been taken, Amos never lost his dignity and courage. For 45 years, Amos worked as a slave and dreamed of freedom. And, at age 60, he finally began to see those dreams come true.
The Defender
by Nicholas KalashnikoffTurgen, a shepherd in northeastern Siberia, defends the wild mountain rams and befriends a widow and her children.
A Newbery Honor Book.