''Miss Hickory'' is a 1946 novel by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey that won the

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

for excellence in

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

in 1947.

Plot introduction

The

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

is Miss Hickory, a doll made from a forked twig from an apple tree and a hickory nut for her head (hence her name). She lives in a tiny doll house made of corncobs outside the home of her human owners. Her world is shaken when the family decides to spend the winter in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, but leave her behind. Miss Hickory is aided during the long cold winter by several farm and forest animals. Prickly and a little

stubborn Stubborn may refer to: * , a Second World War Royal Navy submarine * Little Miss Stubborn, a character in the ''Little Miss'' series of books * Mr. Stubborn, a character in the children's television show ''The Mr. Men Show'' * ''Stubborn'' (albu ...

, she slowly learns to accept help from others, and to offer some assistance herself.

External links

''The Newbery Companion'' by John Thomas Gillespie and Corinne J. Naden, Libraries Unlimited, 2001
''Miss Hickory'', pages 141–4, synopsis, themes and background. Newbery Medal–winning works 1946 American novels American children's novels Children's fantasy novels Novels about sentient toys Viking Press books 1946 children's books {{1940s-child-fantasy-novel-stub