< Newbery Medal and Honor Books
Given the Newbery Award's prestige it would be easy to assume that the award winners are all excellent books for children. The Biblioguides Team has not found this to be the case. We always want to provide parents with the information they need to make the best book decisions for their families. With that goal in mind, we've put together a complete list of all medal winners and honor books since inception, and the Biblioguides Review Team is working together to read our way through the winners and to provide a review. Where we have not yet reviewed a book, a description directly from the dust jacket or from the publisher has been provided. In some cases, we have shared a brief synopsis from The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books (1999).
Reviews are the thoughts and opinions of the particular reviewer and do not necessarily represent all members of the team. Reviews will continue to be added as the team reads more of the Newbery books. We hope this list will help you familiarize yourself with the various winners and provide the necessary information to determine which books would be a good fit for your family!
Smoky, The Cowhorse
By: Will James
Medal Winner
Reviewed by: Terri Shown
"Smoky the Cow Horse" by Will James is a Western novel that paints a picture of the American frontier during the early 20th century. The plot is similar to the animated film Spirit by Dreamworks. There are long meandering descriptions of what life would be like for a a wild horse and cowboy in the west. There are some beautiful long descriptions of horse life on the desert. The descriptions seem a bit long and a tad borning but may appeal more to readers who love horse literature. Some important details to note:
The author, Will James, originally intended the book for an adult audience, and later was surprised to be nominated for a Newbery Award, indicating the unexpected appeal it had for younger readers. The story contains some scenes of graphic violence, including a horse kicking off a wolf's leg, animal abuse (similar to Black Beauty), and physical violance between people. Such scenes may be disturbing for some readers, especially younger ones. Will James actually lived a life as a cowboy so writes from hands on experience.
As the book unfolds it becomes more apparent that Will James wasn’t writing for the 14 and under crowd the Newbery is aimed at. Here are a few scenes for you to consider.
In one pivotal scene, a man is spotted stalking a group of horses with the intent to steal them, including Smoky. The narrator takes a moment to describe the man, saying, "A half-breed of Mexican and other blood that's darker… he was a halfbreed from the bad side, not caring and with no pride."
The narrator eventually shortens "halfbreed" to just "breed." The "breed" mistreats Smoky, using a stick and attempting to sell him. The "breed" is portrayed negatively based solely on his skin color. This raises concerns about the author, Will James, seemingly suggesting that individuals with dark skin are worth less than horses.
Later in the narrative, the narrator explicitly reinforces this disturbing perspective by referring to the man as a "scrub of a degenerate halfbreed and not fit to be classed among humans." And there is another scene where Clint coming to the defense of Smoky, who was being mistreated by a Mexican. Clint starts beating him like the man was beating the horse and the Sheriff says, “Say Cowboy…don’t scatter that hombre’s remains too much, you know we got to keep record of that kind the same as if it were a white man, and I don’t want to be looking all over the streets to find out who he was.”
For those seeking a Western exploration of cowboy and horse culture without the problematic content, you may want to consider. "Brighty of the Grand Canyon" by Henry, "Home Ranch" by Moody, or "Up the Trail from Texas" by Dobie These alternatives provide a enriching experience for readers interested in the dynamic relationship between cowboys and horses in the American West, without the unsettling scenes found in "Smoky the Cow Horse."
