Newbery Medal and Honor Books 1922

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The first Newbery Medal and Honor Books were named in 1922.

Following is the winner of the Medal and the books honored in 1922. I've included the synopsis of each just in case it's a book you've been looking for and didn't remember the title.

1922 Medal Winner

The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon (Liveright)

 Relates the story of western civilization from earliest times through the beginning of the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the people and events that changed the course of history. Portrays in vivid prose the achievements of mankind in the areas of art and discovery, as well as the political forces leading to the modern nation-states. Richly illustrated with drawings by the author. Winner of the first Newbery Award in 1922, The Story of Mankind has introduced generations of children to the pageant of world history. Reading level: grade 5




Honor Books:



• The Great Quest by Charles Hawes (Little, Brown)

The story opens in fictional Topham, Massachusetts, in 1826. Twenty-year-old Josiah Woods finds himself a part of a dangerous sea journey in search of great riches. Before the conclusion of the adventure, Joe and his companions sail to Cuba, Africa, and South America. Reading level: grade 7

• Cedric The Forester by Bernard Marshall (Appleton)

Narrated by Cedric's comrade-in-arms, Richard of Mountjoy, this book tells the story of the title character, a brave and valiant youth. It takes place in medieval times, when King Richard the Lionhearted was king and into the time when Prince John took over the throne. Cedric shows time and again his noble ways and bravery; he often fights for the rights of the common people, going against powerful leaders and friends in the process. Reading level: grade 8

• The Old Tobacco Shop: A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure by William Bowen (Macmillan)

Little Freddie befriends the little hunchback, Toby Littleback, who owns the tobacco shop down the street from his home. Freddie is instantly drawn to Toby and the other characters who populate the shop and surrounding neighborhood - sweet, wistful Aunt Amanda, the two Old Codgers, and the Churchwarden to name just a few. Freddie becomes a permanent fixture at the shop until one day Toby leaves him in charge with only one admonition - not to smoke the tobacco from the jar shaped like a Chinaman's head! Having developed a minor obsession with this very object it proves to be too great a temptation and what results is an amazing little adventure for Freddie and his new friends. Reading level: grade 7

• The Golden Fleece: And the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by Padraic Colum (Macmillan)

Follow the strange and wondrous adventure of Jason and his Argonauts - through uncharted waters where clashing rocks dash the sea, to shores where harpies with wings of birds and heads of women torment poor mortals. Listen to the songs of the Argonaut Orpheus, songs of the creation of Heaven and Earth, Zeus's battle with the Titans, Pandora and her jar of troubles, Persephone in the Underworld, and the great labors of Hercules. Reading level: grade 6

• The Windy Hill by Cornelia Meigs (Macmillan)

The Windy Hill is the story of fifteen-year-old Oliver Peyton, who, together with his younger sister Janet, comes to stay with his Cousin Jasper at his home in Medford Valley. Resentful at Cousin Jasper's unprecedented inattention, Oliver is at first inclined to rebel, even setting in motion a short-lived runaway scheme. But a fortuitous meeting with the amiable "Beeman" and his daughter Polly, on the eponymous Windy Hill overlooking Medford Valley, gives Oliver's thoughts a new turn, and he decides to stay. As events unfold, the Peyton children become more and more puzzled by the behavior of the hostile Anthony Crawford, another cousin of whom they had never heard. Who is this unpleasant man, and what strange hold does he have over Cousin Jasper? Could the answer lie in the Beeman's stories about the history of the valley, and their family? Reading level: grade 6

These classic titles are available as free e-books from Project Gutenberg and Google.


Happy reading,
Angela