Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
2 appearances
-
Edition 15 (1936) Nominee
-
Edition 20 (1941) Winner
Armstrong Wells Sperry
アームストロング・ウェルズ・スペリー
Armstrong Wells Sperry
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1897-11-07 （New Haven, Connecticut, USA）
- Died
- 1976-04-26 （Hanover, New Hampshire, USA） age 78
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- New Haven (birthplace) → New York (studied/worked at Art Students League) → New Canaan, Connecticut (settled) → Santa Fe, New Mexico (residence c.1934) → Thetford Center, Vermont (owned farm) → Hanover, New Hampshire (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Illustrator
- Active Years
- 1933-1976
- Influenced By
- Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London, Frederick O'Brien
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamford Preparatory School | — | — | — | 1908–1915 | United States |
| Art Students League of New York | — | — | — | 1915–1918（断続的に1920s–1930sにも在籍） | United States |
| Yale School of Art | — | — | — | 1918（秋） | United States |
| Académie Colarossi (Paris) | — | — | — | 1923（春） | France |
Stamford Preparatory School
Period:
1908–1915
Year of Graduation:
1915
Country:
United States
Secondary/preparatory education period.
Art Students League of New York
Period:
1915–1918（断続的に1920s–1930sにも在籍）
Year of Graduation:
1918
Country:
United States
Studied with F. Luis Mora and George Bellows.
Yale School of Art
Period:
1918（秋）
Year of Graduation:
1918
Country:
United States
Enrolled fall 1918; studies interrupted by naval draft.
Académie Colarossi (Paris)
Period:
1923（春）
Year of Graduation:
1923
Country:
France
Short-term study in Paris.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Newbery Honor | All Sail Set | — | American Library Association (Children's Library Section) | 受賞（名誉賞） |
| 1941 | Newbery Medal | Call It Courage | — | American Library Association (Children's Library Section) | 受賞（メダル） |
| 1944 | New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award | Storm Canvas | — | New York Herald Tribune | 受賞 |
| 1949 | Boys' Clubs of America Junior Book Award | The Rain Forest | — | Boys' Clubs of America | 受賞 |
Newbery Honor
1936
Work:
All Sail Set
Organization:
American Library Association (Children's Library Section)
Result:
受賞（名誉賞）
Newbery Medal
1941
Work:
Call It Courage
Organization:
American Library Association (Children's Library Section)
Result:
受賞（メダル）
New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award
1944
Work:
Storm Canvas
Organization:
New York Herald Tribune
Result:
受賞
Boys' Clubs of America Junior Book Award
1949
Work:
The Rain Forest
Organization:
Boys' Clubs of America
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Call It Courage
1940 Children's literature, adventureA story of a Polynesian boy who confronts his fears and comes of age; Sperry both wrote and illustrated the book.
couragecoming of agePolynesian culture
All Sail Set
1935 Children's historical fictionA sea-faring tale centered on the clipper ship Flying Cloud, inspired by family seafaring history.
sailinghistoryadventure
Wagons Westward: The Story of the Old Trail to Santa Fe
1936 Children's historical narrativeA children's narrative recounting the old trail to Santa Fe and aspects of western migration.
westward expansionhistoryadventure
Bibliography
- One Day with Manu (1933)
- All Sail Set (1935)
- Wagons Westward (1936)
- Little Eagle, a Navaho Boy (1938)
- Call It Courage (1940)
- Storm Canvas (1944)
- The Rain Forest (1947)
- No Brighter Glory (1942, adult novel)
- John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor (reissued as John Paul Jones, The Pirate Patriot)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- detailed realistic descriptionsconcise and strong narration for childrenuse of his own illustrations
- Recurring Motifs
- sea and sailingboyhood, independence, and courageSouth Pacific landscapes and cultures
Legacy
Armstrong Sperry is known for his children's books and illustrations focusing on the South Pacific and seafaring; Call It Courage has remained in print and widely translated. While some works reflect dated cultural attitudes, he is considered an important figure in children's literature.
Museums
- de Grummond Children's Literature Collection (Armstrong Sperry Papers) Hattiesburg, Mississippi (University of Southern Mississippi)
Archives
- Armstrong Sperry Papers (de Grummond Children's Literature Collection)
- Armstrong Sperry Papers, 1940–1967 (University of Minnesota Children's Literature Research Collection)
Quotes
-
I had been afraid that perhaps in Call It Courage the concept of spiritual courage might be too adult for children, but the reception of this book has reaffirmed a belief I have long held: that children have imagination enough to grasp any idea, and respond to it, if it is put to them honestly and without a patronizing pat on the head.
Source: Acceptance remarks at the Newbery Medal ceremony (1941)
Trivia
- His brother Paul A. Sperry invented the boat shoe (Sperry Top-Sider).
- Call It Courage has remained in print since its 1940 first edition and has been translated into many languages.
- Sperry both wrote and illustrated many books and created dust jackets for other authors.