Author: Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Illustrator: Ruth Gannett
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 10+ years
Miss Hickory is made from a hickory nut glued onto an apple-wood twig, but she’s not a doll; she is real. When her owner, Ann, leaves for Boston with her Great-granny Brown, Miss Hickory is faced with the prospect of having to survive a harsh New Hampshire winter all by herself. However, despite her hard-headedness, Miss Hickory receives help from many animal friends including Crow, Squirrel, and Mr. T. Willard Brown, the barn cat. As the narrative follows the slow changing of the seasons, we also observe gradual changes in Miss Hickory’s character.
In 1947, this children’s book won the Newberry Medal. If your child is an animal- or nature-lover, Miss Hickory would be an especially good choice. The language is very poetic and the lithographs add to the charm. This book would be a wonderful tool for teaching imagery. A note of warning: There is a surprise twist toward the end that may be a bit alarming for younger readers.
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