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Maia Wojciechowska

マイア・ウォイチェホフスカ

Maia Wojciechowska

Pen Names: Maia Rodman（Married name used for early works and some adult books）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1927-08-07 （Warsaw, Poland）
Died
2002-06-13 （Long Branch, New Jersey, United States） age 74
Nationality
Polish, American
Languages
English, Polish, French
Residence History
Poland (childhood) → France (exile / schooling) → England (schooling) → California, United States (from 1942) → Mahwah, New Jersey, United States → Long Branch, New Jersey, United States (place of death)

Career

Occupations
Children's author, Young adult fiction author, Translator (occasional)
Active Years
1952-2002

Awards

Newbery Medal
1965
Work: Shadow of a Bull
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: Winner
Deutscher Jugendbuchpreis
1968
Work: Shadow of a Bull (German edition)
Organization: German youth literature award body
Result: Winner (German edition)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Shadow of a Bull

1964 Children's literature / Young adult

A coming-of-age story about a Spanish boy destined to be a bullfighter. It focuses on the boy's struggle with tradition and personal responsibility.

coming of agetradition and responsibilitybullfighting culture
Translations
  • German edition

Market Day for Ti Andre

1952 Children's literature

A short children's story published under the name Maia Rodman (details limited).

communityeveryday life

Odyssey of Courage: The Story of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

1965 Children's / Biography

A children's biographical account of the explorer Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his adventures and survival.

explorationsurvivalhistory

A Kingdom in a Horse

1965 Children's / Young adult

A work exploring the relationship between horses and humans and themes of growth (details limited).

human-animal relationshipcoming of age

The Hollywood Kid

1966 Young adult

A young person's story set in Hollywood (summary only).

self-discoveryfame versus reality

A Single Light

1968 Young adult

A work about youth inner life and relationships (details unclear).

inner growthrelationships

Bibliography

  • Market Day for Ti Andre (1952) (as Maia Rodman)
  • Shadow of a Bull (1964)
  • Odyssey of Courage: The Story of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (1965)
  • A Kingdom in a Horse (1965)
  • The Hollywood Kid (1966)
  • A Single Light (1968)
  • Tuned Out (1968)
  • Hey, What's Wrong with This One? (1969)
  • Don't Play Dead Before You Have To (1970)
  • The Rotten Years (1971)
  • The Life and Death of a Brave Bull (1972)
  • Through the Broken Mirror with Alice (1972)
  • Winter Tales from Poland (1973)
  • The People in His Life (1980)
  • How God Got Christian into Trouble (1984)
  • Dreams of Golf (1993)
  • Dreams of Soccer (1993)
  • Dreams of the Super Bowl (1993)

Translations of Works

  • Shadow of a Bull (German translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
clear, direct narrationdelicate depiction of characters' psychologyrealist depiction
Recurring Motifs
coming of age and identitytradition vs. individualcross-cultural experiences

Health

  • Stroke (cause of death)
    2002
    Sudden death ended her writing career

Legacy

Maia Wojciechowska is best known for winning the 1965 Newbery Medal for "Shadow of a Bull." Her works dealing with immigration, cross-cultural experience, and young people's growth and responsibility have secured her a place in children's and young adult literature; her papers are preserved in specialized collections.

Archives

  • de Grummond Children's Literature Collection (University of Southern Mississippi)

Trivia

  • Published early and some adult works under the name Maia Rodman (married name).
  • Fled to France with her family after the 1939 invasion of Poland.
  • Won the 1965 Newbery Medal for Shadow of a Bull.
  • Lived in New Jersey in later years and died of a stroke in 2002.
  • Her papers are held in the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection.