Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (1939) Winner
Elizabeth Wright Enright
エリザベス・ライト・エンライト
Elizabeth Wright Enright
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1907-09-17 （Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.）
- Died
- 1968-06-08 （Wainscott, Long Island, New York, U.S.） age 60
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Oak Park, Illinois (birthplace) → Nantucket Island / New England (summer stays) → New York City (residence / professional activity) → Wainscott, Long Island (final residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer (children's fiction), Illustrator, Short story writer (adult fiction), Literary critic, Creative writing teacher
- Active Years
- 1935-1968
- Affiliations
- Barnard College (creative writing instructor, 1960–1962)
- Influenced By
- Martha Graham (studied dance)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Students League of New York | — | — | — | 1927–1928 | United States |
| Parsons School of Design, Paris | — | — | — | — | France (Paris) |
Art Students League of New York
Period:
1927–1928
Country:
United States
Studied illustration; attended 1927–1928
Parsons School of Design, Paris
Country:
France (Paris)
Attended Parsons program in Paris (period not specified)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Newbery Medal | Thimble Summer | — | American Library Association (ALA) | Winner |
| 1957 | Newbery Honor | Gone-Away Lake | — | American Library Association (ALA) | Honor |
| 1957 | New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award | Gone-Away Lake | — | New York Herald Tribune | Winner / Honor |
| — | O. Henry Award (multiple) | — | — | O. Henry Prize | Winner (multiple years) |
| 1970 | Lewis Carroll Shelf Award | Gone-Away Lake | — | Lewis Carroll Shelf Award committee | Recipient |
Newbery Medal
1939
Work:
Thimble Summer
Organization:
American Library Association (ALA)
Result:
Winner
Newbery Honor
1957
Work:
Gone-Away Lake
Organization:
American Library Association (ALA)
Result:
Honor
New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award
1957
Work:
Gone-Away Lake
Organization:
New York Herald Tribune
Result:
Winner / Honor
O. Henry Award (multiple)
Organization:
O. Henry Prize
Result:
Winner (multiple years)
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1970
Work:
Gone-Away Lake
Organization:
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award committee
Result:
Recipient
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Thimble Summer
1938 Children's fictionA children's novel blending memories of summers on a farm and family stories; noted for its vivid depiction of rural childhood.
FamilySeasonal memoriesComing of age
Gone-Away Lake
1957 Children's fictionTells of a child’s discovery of a partly abandoned lakeside town and friendships with older residents; a nostalgic, gently adventurous tale.
NostalgiaFriendshipExploration
Return to Gone-Away
1961 Children's fictionSequel to Gone-Away Lake; the protagonists return to the lake town and confront changes as past and present intersect.
MemoryChangeGrowth
Melendy quartet (The Saturdays; The Four-Story Mistake; Then There Were Five; Spiderweb for Two)
1941 Children's fiction (series)A series about four siblings living in New York City and later upstate; follows their everyday adventures and creative lives.
Family lifePlay and adventureCreativity
Kintu: A Congo Adventure
1935 Children's adventureEnright's first book; originated from a series of illustrations and accompanying story, an adventure for younger readers.
AdventureCultural setting
Bibliography
- Kintu: A Congo Adventure (1935)
- Thimble Summer (1938)
- The Sea Is All Around (1940)
- The Saturdays (1941)
- The Four-Story Mistake (1942)
- Then There Were Five (1944)
- Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze (1951)
- A Christmas Tree for Lydia (1951)
- Gone-Away Lake (1957)
- Return to Gone-Away (1961)
- Tatsinda (1963)
- Zeee (1965)
- Borrowed Summer and Other Stories (1946)
- The Moment Before the Rain (1951)
- The Riddle of the Fly and Other Stories (1956)
- Doublefields: Memories and Stories (1966)
Adaptations
- Tale for a Deaf Ear — 1957 opera based on a story by Enright
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realistic, forthright and lively styleWarm narration sympathetic to a child's perspectiveCombination of humor and lyricism
- Recurring Motifs
- Family life and sibling dynamicsSeasonal memories (especially summer)Nostalgia and exploration of past places
Legacy
Elizabeth Enright is acclaimed for realistic children's novels rooted in a child's perspective. Her Newbery Medal and other recognitions reflect significant contributions to children's literature; the Melendy quartet and Gone-Away Lake remain enduring works.
Archives
- Library of Congress catalog records (LCCN entries)
In Popular Culture
- Gone-Away Lake ranked among top children's novels in School Library Journal's 2012 poll (No. 42).
Quotes
-
“Elizabeth Enright has a gift for realism; her style is forthright and lively.”
Source: May Hill Arbuthnot (children's literature scholar) (1964)
Trivia
- Her mother was related to the family of architect Frank Lloyd Wright; there are family ties to Taliesin.
- She once intended to be a dancer and studied with Martha Graham.
- Began career as an illustrator and transitioned into writing.
- Won the 1939 Newbery Medal for Thimble Summer, making her one of the younger winners at the time.