Collected Stories for Children was written by Walter de la Mare and published in 1947. My edition is a cheap Puffin collection reprinted in 1987 which contains illustrations by Robin Jacques. It was the first collection of stories to win the Carnegie award. The award was surprising since it was the first time that previously publishedContinue reading “Collected Stories for Children (1947)”
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The Little White Horse (1946)
There was no award in 1945. The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge was one of the Carnegie Medal Winners I had read before embarking on this chronological project. It was given to my daughter by her Godparent as it was her favourite book as a child, and apparently, it was J K Rowling’s too.Continue reading “The Little White Horse (1946)”
The Wind on the Moon (1944)
The Wind on the Moon, written by Eric Linklater, originally published by Macmillan. It was awarded the Carnegie Medal in 1944. There was no award in 1943. As is apparent from the picture above, I read The Wind on the Moon in the Danish translation. This was published as part of a series of internationalContinue reading “The Wind on the Moon (1944)”
The Little Grey Men (1942)
The Little Grey Men, the first fantasy title to appear as a Carnegie Medal winner, was written by Denys Watkins-Pitchford under the pseudonym “BB” and illustrated by him under his real name. It was first published by Eyre & Spottiswoode in 1942 and has been reissued several times since – the latest is in anContinue reading “The Little Grey Men (1942)”
We couldn’t leave Dinah (1941)
I am indebted to an essay by Cheri Lloyd in ‘Out of the Attic – Some neglected Children’s Authors of the Twentieth Century’which helped me contextualise both the story and my thoughts about it. We Couldn’t Leave Dinah is interesting because it is a book about WWII,written at the outset of the war while MaryContinue reading “We couldn’t leave Dinah (1941)”
Visitors from London (1940)
Visitors from London by Kitty Barne is out of print and copies currently sell for £50 and more on abebooks.co.uk. As I have a self-imposed limit of maximum £15 per book, I’ve not read this yet. According to Keith Barker in Outstanding Books for Children and Young People – the LA Guide to Carnegie/Greenaway WinnersContinue reading “Visitors from London (1940)”
The Carnegie Winners – 1930s
As the Carnegie Prize was inaugurated in 1936, this decade only count 4 winners. Three of the authors were already known to me – Arthur Ransome, Eve Garnett and Noel Streathfield, whereas I didn’t know Eleanor Dooley at all. There’s a reason for this; the first three have produced several classics books which have beenContinue reading “The Carnegie Winners – 1930s”
Reasons for reading Carnegie Medal Winners – Number 2: Literary History
My second reason for reading the Carnegie Medal Winners springs from the first: the attempt at understanding at least part of the literary history of British children’s literature. The selection criteria for the Carnegie Medal has always centered on trying to select ‘the best children’s book published that year’. How this is defined has beenContinue reading “Reasons for reading Carnegie Medal Winners – Number 2: Literary History”
The Radium Woman (1939)
My copy is in the lovely yellow Puffin Story Books cover from 1953, but it was originally published in 1939. It is based on Marie Curie’s daughter’s book Madame Curie, retold for children by Eleanor Doorly. I didn’t have anything but the vaguest knowledge of Marie Curie prior to reading this book, which is shamefulContinue reading “The Radium Woman (1939)”
Why read the Carnegie Medal Winners? Number 1 – Personal Reasons
As for most selection process that have taken place over many years there are all kinds of issues around the Carnegie Medal winner selection process, some of which have been understood for a long time, some which have gotten renewed attention recently. The question ‘why read the Carnegie Medal winners? is actually a very complextContinue reading “Why read the Carnegie Medal Winners? Number 1 – Personal Reasons”
Mette Reads Carnegie 