The 1940s... A Look Back

This time let's take a look at the 1940s- this seems to be the decade where the Newbery really started coming into its own. Here we find some of the first well-known titles and the writing style is much more readable to the modern mind. 

Books that I read longer ago I may wish to give a different number of stars to because in the early days I had a tendency to give books 5 stars no matter if I liked them or adored them.

Overall a decent decade, honestly I was probably most pleasantly surprised by this decade.

King of the Wind (1949) - 5 stars - This was a great story. My first written by Marguerite Henry, and I can't totally see why her books are so popular decades later.

Call It Courage (1941) - 4 stars - I would give this 5 stars now if I could, years later and I reflect back on the book fairly frequently. I loved it whole-heartedly and can see where kids that enjoyed Moana would enjoy this tale.

The Twenty-One Balloons (1948) - 5 stars - A fun little story that is so far outside the usual parameters of the usual Newbery winner that I can't help but love it. Quite frankly I'm astonished that a movie was never made!

Adam of the Road (1943) - 4 stars - A great story (and well researched!) about a boy and his dog. I'm a sucker for Medieval England and this book is no exception.

Rabbit Hill (1945) - 3 stars - A super cute story that might work great as a bedtime read aloud. I'm thinking most kids able to read it on their own are not going to be in to talking bunny stories.

Strawberry Girl (1946) - 3 stars - If you are into pioneer books this one is sure to be enjoyable - comes with the twist of having a feud thrown in.

Miss Hickory (1947) - 3 stars - Another doll book. Still has my money for the being the weirdest of any of the Newbery books, but it's a good weird.

The Matchlock Gun (1942) - 3 stars - A short but purportedly true story set during the French-American War. I don't really remember it very well but it also didn't take very long to read, if I'm ever inclined I can give it a quick reread.

Johnny Tremain (1944) - 1 star - Oof. I must have been really upset with this book. I don't really think it deserved just one lousy star, I'd probably be more inclined to give it 2 stars nowadays.

Daniel Boone (1940) - 1 star - One of four three out-of-print Newbery winners. I cannot recommend this book on any level. It is a bad biography, it is bad fiction, it is just not interesting at all.

Recommendation of the Decade

This decade is so full of good books that it is difficult to choose one to recommend. King of the Wind is such a very good book that even after reading 92 other books it remains in the top ten. I still pick up this book with a happy squeal when I come across it, saying, "This is a good one!" It also has a great film adaption for anyone that likes comparing books and movies.