Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
1 appearances
-
Edition 48 (1969) Nominee
Julius Bernard Lester
ジュリアス・バーナード・レスター
Julius Bernard Lester
Pen Names:
Yaakov Daniel ben Avraham v'Sarah（Hebrew name adopted after conversion to Judaism）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1939-01-27 （St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.）
- Died
- 2018-01-18 （Palmer, Massachusetts, U.S.） age 78
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Judaism Baptized in 1982 （Baptismal Name: Yaakov Daniel ben Avraham v'Sarah）
- Residence History
- St. Louis, Missouri → Kansas City, Kansas → Nashville, Tennessee → New York City → Amherst, Massachusetts (University of Massachusetts Amherst) → Palmer, Massachusetts (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- writer, musician, photographer, professor, civil rights activist
- Active Years
- 1965-2018
- Affiliations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (faculty), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), WBAI-FM (radio host)
- Influenced By
- W. E. B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, Leadbelly and folk music traditions, Pete Seeger (collaborator)
- Influenced
- Jerry Pinkney (collaborative influence), Younger children's writers (reframing African-American history and folktales)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisk University | College of Arts and Sciences (major in English) | English | BA | 1956–1960 | United States |
Fisk University
College of Arts and Sciences (major in English)
/ English
Degree:
BA
Period:
1956–1960
Year of Graduation:
1960
Country:
United States
Major in English; minors in Art and Spanish
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Newbery Honor | To Be a Slave | — | American Library Association | 受賞（オナー） |
| 1971 | Lewis Carroll Shelf Award | To Be a Slave | — | Unknown | 受賞 |
| 1973 | National Book Award (finalist) | The Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History | — | National Book Foundation | 候補（ファイナリスト） |
| 1983 | Coretta Scott King Award (Honor/Recipient) | This Strange New Feeling | — | Coretta Scott King Book Awards (CSKRT), American Library Association | オナー |
| 2006 | Coretta Scott King Award | Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue | — | Coretta Scott King Book Awards (CSKRT), American Library Association | 受賞 |
| 1995 | Caldecott Honor | John Henry (illustrated by Jerry Pinkney) | — | American Library Association | オナー |
| 1986 | Multiple university teaching awards | — | — | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Distinguished Teacher's Award, Faculty Fellowship, Chancellor's Medal等 |
Newbery Honor
1969
Work:
To Be a Slave
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞（オナー）
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1971
Work:
To Be a Slave
Organization:
Unknown
Result:
受賞
National Book Award (finalist)
1973
Work:
The Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
候補（ファイナリスト）
Coretta Scott King Award (Honor/Recipient)
1983
Work:
This Strange New Feeling
Organization:
Coretta Scott King Book Awards (CSKRT), American Library Association
Result:
オナー
Coretta Scott King Award
2006
Work:
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue
Organization:
Coretta Scott King Book Awards (CSKRT), American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Caldecott Honor
1995
Work:
John Henry (illustrated by Jerry Pinkney)
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
オナー
Multiple university teaching awards
1986
Organization:
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Result:
Distinguished Teacher's Award, Faculty Fellowship, Chancellor's Medal等
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
To Be a Slave
1968 Non-fiction / Children's literature 224 pagesA work that presents the realities of slavery in America for younger readers, combining testimony, historical documents, and commentary to depict the lives, culture, and resistance of enslaved people.
slaveryAfrican-American historymemory and testimonyhuman rights
Translations
- English (original)
The Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History
1969 Children's historical storiesA collection of short stories introducing events and figures from African-American history through narrative.
historical educationidentitycommunity
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue
2005 Historical novelA historical novel depicting the effects of slavery in a dialogue-driven format, reconstructing events through multiple characters' perspectives.
impacts of slaverycollective memorystorytelling
Bibliography
- The Folksinger's Guide to the 12-String Guitar as Played by Leadbelly, Lester and Pete Seeger (1965)
- Look Out, Whitey! Black Power Gon' Get Your Mama (1968)
- To Be a Slave (1968)
- The Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History (1969)
- This Strange New Feeling (1982)
- Lovesong: Becoming a Jew (1988)
- John Henry (1994, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney)
- Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue (2005)
- The Girl Who Saved Yesterday (2016)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- direct, conversational proseengagement with folk and oral traditionsnonfictional techniques combining history and testimony
- Recurring Motifs
- folktales and folk motifsmusic and songreligion and spiritualityidentity and belonging
Health
-
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)晩年（2018年に合併症で死去）Complications of COPD led to his death
Legacy
Julius Lester communicated African-American history widely through children's literature and non-fiction, carrying folk and musical traditions into the modern era. His long academic career and civil rights activism left impacts in both scholarship and community.
Archives
- Manuscript finding aids at Jones Library (Amherst, MA) special collections
In Popular Culture
- 1960s activities featured in the PBS documentary 'The Folk Singer'
Trivia
- Recorded two folk-music albums (1966, 1967)
- Taught at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for 32 years (1971–2003)
- His books have been translated into eight languages (per sources)