Children's Book Awards Trivia

1. The 1963 Newbery Award winner, "A Wrinkle in Time", made it to which list in the late 20th Century?

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books

"A Wrinkle in Time" by author Madeleine L'Engle is a wonderful fantasy novel about three young people who travel through time and space. Two of the main characters are siblings, and the third is their friend. The siblings' father has mysteriously disappeared, so they set out to find him. Their journey takes them to other worlds and other times when they use the services of supernatural beings. No spoilers, but they do meet up with all kinds of unusual creatures in some very odd situations while they try to find and rescue the father. This book made it to the "American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000". It was chosen for this list because of the frequency that the book was challenged after it was published. Apparently, some parents in the US felt that the book should not be on library shelves because they say that the spiritual themes do not reflect traditional Christian teachings. Besides being honoured with a Newbery Award, this book has been made into two Disney movies, one for TV in 2003 and one for theatres in 2018.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: Poetry

The insect poems in the 1989 winner "Joyful Noise" are meant to be read aloud by two readers. "A Visit to William Blake's Inn" (1982) contains poems inspired by the title poet, as well as many illustrations. 1998's "Out of the Dust", written in free verse, is about a girl in the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. "The Crossover" (2015) is likewise in free verse and is about a basketball-playing boy and his relationships with his father and brother.

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: Charlotte's Web

When the pig Wilbur finds out that he's going to be killed for meat, Charlotte, a spider, writes messages into her webs to save him. This book was the only one of E. B. White's books to get any Newbery recognition. "Caddie Woodlawn" and "Rabbit Hill" are Newbery Medal books.

From Quiz Newbery Medal Winners

Answer: Cynthia Voight

The Tillerman children settle with their grandmother while trying to sort out their feelings about the mother who abandoned them. This book won the award in 1983.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: Mouse

Mrs. Frisby seeks help from the rats to move her house. The plough will tear it up, but one of her children is so sick that he can't leave the house, so she must find a way to move her home. Despereaux is a very small mouse whose mother sees him as a disappointment. He eventually goes on an adventure to rescue a princess.

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth

"From the Mixed-Up Files..." is about two children who run away from home and live in a museum, where they become involved in a mystery surrounding a statue. In "Jennifer...", Elizabeth makes friends with a girl who claims to be a witch, and they spend the summer trying to create an ointment to make them fly.

From Quiz Newbery Medal Winners

Answer: Kate Seredy

This book won the award in 1938.

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: During the Middle Ages

"The Door in the Wall", a novel by Marguerite de Angeli, won the Newbery Award in 1950. It is the story of a boy in England during the bubonic plague. His parents are away serving the king and queen. The servants that were left to look after him leave because they fear the plague when the young boy loses the use of his legs. He is rescued by a friar who teaches him to read and how to swim to help strengthen his weakened legs. He ends up moving to a castle to act as a page on the first step to fulfilling his dream of becoming a knight. The castle is attacked, and he hatches a plan to save it. Again, no spoilers, but it is definitely worth the read to discover the story of the boy and the significance of "The Door in the Wall".

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: Wilderness survival

In "Hatchet", a boy must survive in the Canadian wilderness after the plane he's flying in crashes. It is the first of a series by Gary Paulsen. "My Side of the Mountain" is about a boy who wants to get away from modern life and live in the wild. He does pretty well for himself--he even trains a hawk to help him hunt. "The Sign of the Beaver" takes place in 18th-century Maine. The main character lives on his own in a cabin, waiting for his family to return. He is befriended by an Indian tribe, who teach him various survival tactics. Two Newbery Medal winning books about girls who survive on their own are "Island of the Blue Dolphins" and "Julie of the Wolves".

From Quiz Newbery Medal Winners

Answer: Karen Hesse

This book is about a little girl who struggles to help her family survive the dust bowl of the Depression. Having to take on even more responsibilities after her mother dies. The book won the award in 1998.

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: His son

"The Whipping Boy" is a marvellous adventure story about a young, mean-spirited prince. Because it was not acceptable to punish royalty for wrongdoing, he is provided with an orphan about his age who is used as the whipping boy whenever he does something wrong. At one point, the two boys run away and meet up with many colourful characters. No spoilers, but important lessons are learned by all. Sid Fleischman's son Paul won the Newbery Award in 1989 for "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices".

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: The Black Cauldron

"The Black Cauldron" is the second of five books in the series. The item of the title creates warriors that cannot die; the heroes seek this cauldron so they can destroy it. The Disney movie of the same name was adapted from both this book and the first in the series, "The Book of Three".

From Quiz Newbery Medal Winners

Answer: Beverly Cleary

This book is about a young boy who writes to his favorite author, alomst everyday. As an only child in a new town, he feels alone and isolated. This book won the award in 1984.

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: The Bible

The title for this book comes from Romans 9:13 in the KJV of "The Bible", that reads "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." This refers to the sibling rivalry between two brothers, but the novel is about the rivalry between twin girls. One is deemed to be delicate by her family and seems to receive all sorts of privileges. On the other hand, the other twin is not treated with the same level of privilege, and often silently seethes that her sister gets credit when it is not deserved. The story progresses as the girls grow up. The author introduces the girls' dreams and the outcome of those. No spoilers, but this is a wonderful coming-of-age story that many have enjoyed since it was published.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: "The Midwife's Apprentice" and "A Single Shard"

These are the winners from 1996 and 2002. The title character of "The Midwife's Apprentice" is called Brat and Beetle before naming herself Alice. She becomes the apprentice of a strict midwife and learns that even when she fails in certain tasks, she can't give up or she'll get nowhere. Tree-ear from "A Single Shard" lives under a bridge and is fascinated by pottery. He breaks a pot and works for the potter for several days to work off the debt. He stays on afterwards as an apprentice, but without pay.

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: A Documentary Novel

The book is written in the style of a screenplay. A boy talks during the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner" in school and is punished; the incident is exaggerated into a boy being punished for singing along with the national anthem. The teacher is targeted and the boy turned into a national hero, but an unexpected ending is on the way... Avi's "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" won the Newbery Medal for 2003.

From Quiz Newbery Medal Winners

Answer: Harold Keith

This book is about a 16 year old boy who embarks on one of the biggest adventures of his lifetime, the Civil War. Won the award in 1958.

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: A mouse

In this book, Despereaux is the main character. He is a mouse who sets out on a mission to save a human princess named Princess Pea. Despereaux had befriended her when he visited her in the castle and she had spoken to him. He is then sent to the dungeon by the Mouse Council because mice are not supposed to talk with humans. Princess Pea is kidnapped by a rat named Roscuro and a young servant girl named Mig. Despereaux then engages in a number of adventuresome tactics to try to rescue Princess Pea. No spoilers, but let's just say that this is a very entertaining book. So entertaining, in fact, that the book has been adapted into a movie, a stage play, and a video game.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: Caddie Woodlawn

"Invincible Louisa" (1934) is about the author of "Little Women", Louisa May Alcott. "Daniel Boone" from 1940 is a biography of the American frontiersman. Abraham Lincoln is the subject of 1988's winner, "Lincoln: A Photobiography", which contains many pictures to help tell the story of Lincoln's life. "Caddie Woodlawn" (1936) is based on the author's grandmother's stories of growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, but is not a biography.

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: American Civil War

Protagonist Jethro, who is too young to be a solider, continues to work on his farm while some of his family, as well as many citizens of his town, go off to fight in war. Not all of Jethro's family are on the same side, and he quickly learns that war is nothing to be excited about.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: Ships

All of these are sea-themed Newbery Medal books. "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" (1956) is based on the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, a man who worked in mathematics and sea navigation. In 1974's "The Slave Dancer", a boy is kidnapped and put aboard a slave ship, where he's forced to play music for the slaves to dance to for exercise. "The Dark Frigate" (1924) tells of a boy who ends up on a ship taken over by pirates.

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: Catherine

"Catherine, Called Birdy" takes place in the 13th century. Catherine writes a diary about her daily life, including everything from mundane everyday chores to her arranged marriage.

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: A boy and a hermit

The 1960 Newbery Award book "Onion John" by Joseph Krumgold tells the story of a young boy named Andy who develops a friendship with a hermit who lives in a shack on the outskirts of a town in New Jersey. Onion John has that nickname because he eats the onions that he grows in his garden like apples. People in town are friendly with Onion John, but nobody besides the boy can understand his speech. He is perfectly happy to live on his own in his hut that is furnished with bathtubs until Andy's father and his Rotary Club build Onion John a modern home. No spoilers, but something happens to Onion John in the new home that you will have to read the novel to learn about. You won't be disappointed if this is one of the Newbery Award winners you choose to read.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: Island of the Blue Dolphins

1961's winner "Island of the Blue Dolphins" is by Scott O'Dell. It is based on the true story of a woman who was found living alone on San Nicolas Island in the 19th century. She was called Juana Maria, or the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island. The book's girl is named Karana. She is left behind when her people leave the island. "Call It Courage" and "Julie of the Wolves" are the winners from 1941 and 1973.

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: The Thief

The title character is named Gen. He is released from prison by a magus who wants Gen to steal a stone that the the magus can use to take over a country. "The Thief" is followed by "The Queen of Attolia", "The King of Attolia", and "A Conspiracy of Kings".

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: National Institute of Mental Health

"Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien won the Newbery Award in 1972. It is about a widowed field mouse named Mrs. Frisby. She learns that the farmer who owns the land upon which she and her family are living in their winter home is about to plow the land for his spring planting. Her son Timothy is ill with pneumonia, and she realizes that he would not survive the move to their summer home, so she seeks the help of other animals in the garden where she lives. This leads her to befriend a group of rats who had escaped from the research laboratory at the National Institute of Mental Health. She manages to work with the rats in order to safely move her family, but learns some very interesting things along the way. No spoilers, so I encourage you to pick up this book to learn a few things about human and animal behaviour just like Mrs. Frisby learns in the book.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: Medieval Europe

These books won for the years 1943, 1950, 2003, and 2008. A large number of Newbery Medal books are historical novels. "A Single Shard" takes place in 12th century Korea. "A Gathering of Days" (1980) is set in 1830s New England. 17th century Spain is the setting for the 1966 winner "I, Juan de Pareja", and "Rifles for Watie" (1958) tells of a boy who fights for both the Union and the Confederacy in the American Civil War.

From Quiz No Newbery Medal for You

Answer: Shannon Hale

In "Princess Academy", a group of girls living in the mountains of Danland are put through princess training because a prophecy says that the prince's bride will be a mountain girl. Hale has written sequels to this book.

From Quiz My Favourite Newbery Award Winners

Answer: E

"From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" is a novel by E. L. Konigsburg that won the Newbery Award in 1968. It is about two siblings, Claudia and Jamie, who run away from their home in Greenwich, Connecticut and head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. There, they hide out, blending in with school groups during the day, hiding in washrooms while security guards do their last check in the evenings, and sleeping there overnight. Someone named Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler sells a marble statue of an angel to the museum for a very low price with no details about who the artist was. Claudia and Jamie are very intrigued, so they travel to her home to ask questions about the statue. She allows them access to her files that at first glance seem to be very mixed up. The children work to solve the mystery of who created the statue. No spoilers, so you'll have to read this marvellous book for yourself to find out if the children figure out which artist sculpted the angel.

From Quiz Newbery Similarities

Answer: Dolls

Hitty, full name Mehitabel, relates her experiences of being passed from owner to owner, including a Quaker girl, a snake charmer, a painter, and a dressmaker. She travels all over the world and is by turns bought, given as a gift, stolen, lost, and auctioned off. By contrast, Miss Hickory is left behind by the family over a winter. After a chipmunk moves into her corncob house, she has to rely on nearby animals for support. Many of the stories in "Miss Hickory" are about these animals.

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