Children/Young Adult Book Awards: 1950-1959

When a novel like Huckleberry Finn, or The Yearling, comes along it defies customary adjectives because of the intensity of the respouse it evokes in the reader. Such a book, we submit, is Old Yeller; to read this eloquently simple story of a boy and his dog in the Texas hill country is an unforgettable and deeply moving experience.

Robin, recovering from an illness, is a lonely boy who finds solace in his closeness with Magic, the golden palomino mare. Although she is too old to do much he loves her deeply. Then one day he and his horse face a dangerous adventure which could change Robin's life forever.

At last, Henry Huggins's father has promised to take him fishing, on one condition. Henry's dog, Ribsy, has been in all sorts of trouble lately, from running off with the neighbor's barbecue roast to stealing a policeman's lunch. To go on the fishing trip, Henry must keep Ribsy out of trouble -- no chasing cats, no digging up lawns...and no getting anywhere near little Ramona Quimby, the pest of Klickitat Street.

Miss Pickerell was mighty glad to be home from her vacation. She had had an overdose of noise and confusion. As she led her cow out to graze behind her little house she thought happily about the rest they were both going to have. But suddenly she saw, right in the middle of the pasture, the strangest, largest contraption she had ever laid eyes on. She was very frightened, but this was a clear case of trespassing. Miss Pickerell didn't hesitate. She went right up to investigate the outrage.
What happens after that is more than she bargains for. It is a question who is most surprised: Miss Pickerell or the captain and the crew!

Movie men have come to Chincoteague to film the annual Pony Penning, and Paul and Maureen are thrilled-- until they learn that the producers want to buy their beloved Misty. Reluctantly, they agree to sell in order to send their uncle to college. But how will they ever fill the lonely place that Misty leaves behind?
Finding an orphaned colt helps Paul and Maureen deal with their loss, and they soon discover that little Sea Star needs them just as much as they need him.

He 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 very superior thoroughbred. Sham's speed -- like his story -- has become legendary.

Who knows what fantastic fish might swim in McElligot's Pool!