The Jefferson Cup Award honors a distinguished American biography, historical fiction or history book for young people. The Youth Services Forum of the Virginia Library Association has presented this award annually since the 1982 publishing year. Through the award, the Youth Services Forum seeks to promote reading about America’s past, to encourage the quality writing of United States history, biography and historical fiction for young people, and to recognize authors in these disciplines.
Blizzard!
by Jim Murphy
Scholastic Press, 2000. Grades 4-8.
It was March, 1888, and the weather forecast was rain becoming fair. Little did anyone realize that not one, but two powerful weather systems were about to invade the northeastern United States. In his distinctive style, Jim Murphy presents the story of the “Great Blizzard” that knocked the Northeast to its knees. Through personal stories as well as historical narrative, Murphy brings readers into the storm. He shows the effect of the storm on all walks of life, from the homeless in the streets to a railroad president and politicians. Murphy provides stories of survivors as well as victims, with specific details that stand out, such as the society girl found buried in the snow, still clutching her feathered hat. The illustrations and photographs provide visual records to enhance the text and give the reader a glimpse of how massive this storm really was. From underground cables to subway systems to better weather prediction and communication, the blizzard of 1888 is still affecting life today.
Honor Books
Fever, 1793
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2000. Grades 4 and up.
Philadelphia is ill prepared for an epidemic of yellow fever. The wealthy flee the city as the epidemic spreads. Doors are barred; business falls off as people stay home in an attempt to avoid the fever. Knowledge of how the fever spreads is lacking, and medical treatment is the old-fashioned bleeding of the victim, almost guaranteed to help the patient die faster. As word of the fever spreads, towns will not let people from Philadelphia into their centers. With a scarcity of food, starvation becomes routine, because farmers will not venture into the city. At the Cook Coffeehouse, fourteen-year old Matilda’s life becomes a nightmare. When Matilda’s mother becomes ill, Matilda and her grandfather depart, leaving Mother in the care of Eliza, an African-American cook at the coffeehouse. The journey is aborted, however, and Matilda and her grandfather return to an empty coffeehouse. Not knowing her mother’s fate, more tragedy strikes and Matilda is left alone. Matilda’s story is intertwined with the history of the epidemic in a fascinating glimpse at medical practices and how a population reacts to this baffling illness.
The Boxer
by Kathleen Karr
Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2000. Grades 5-8.
In 1885, in New York City, Johnny Woods is barely able to support his mother and fatherless siblings on sweatshop pay. The chance to make some easy money boxing is irresistible even though the sport is illegal. The first time in the ring, Johnny is arrested and sentenced to jail. There he meets Michael O’Shaunnessey who sees a champion boxer in Johnny’s uppercut and begins his training. Out of jail, and under Michael’s management, Johnny becomes a professional. His power and his passion help Johnny protect his family, win in the ring and plan for a better future. From Johnny’s first powerful punch, The Boxer, is exciting and gripping for the reluctant to the voracious reader.
Worthy of Special Note
America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle
by David A. Adler
Harcourt, Inc., 2000. Grades K-4
In this picture biography, David Adler describes the swimming accomplishments of Gertrude Ederle. After winning three Olympic medals and setting twenty-nine United States and world records, Trudy Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. The memorable details of her record-breaking swim are enhanced by Terry Widener’s illustrations. The author’s note adds interesting background and general information about the era and Ederle’s life.
The Art of Keeping Cool
by Janet Taylor Lisle
Atheneum, 2000. Grades 5-8
The Art of Keeping Cool is a powerful story of life on the homefront during World War II. Set in a small New England town and narrated by thirteen-year-old Robert, this novel successfully portrays the fears and frustrations of those left behind at home. Robert and his mother are forced to move from Ohio to New England after Robert’s father has joined the Canadian Air Force and find life is not easy living with grandfather. Abel, a reclusive German painter, adds conflicts and tension when townspeople begin to believe he is a Nazi spy. The Art of Keeping Cool is a multi-layered novel with well-developed characters.
Radio Rescue
by Lynne Barasch
Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2000. Grades 2-5.
In 1923, Robert Marx became the youngest licensed amateur wireless radio operator. Ten-year-old Robert describes what Morse Code is through his story about setting up his transmitting station and picking up a signal from Florida hurricane victims. For 24 hours, Robert manned his receiver and enlisted the help of the Coast Guard to save a Key Largo family. Watercolor and ink illustrations capture information from the attractive endpapers to the small insets of code within large, full-page drawings of a past era. This personal history concludes with a newspaper photograph of the author’s father, the real Robert Marx. Young readers will note the parallel between the wireless radio and Internet chat, or surmise where Radio Shack got its name.
Spellbinder: The Life of Harry Houdini
by Tom Lalicki
Holiday House, 2000. Grades 3-7.
The Milk Can Escape, the Manacled Bridge Jump, the Chinese Water-Torture Cell, the Handcuff Escape, and the Suspended Strait Jacket Escape are among the most remembered of Harry Houdini’s magic tricks and can be experienced in this highly readable biography of the master magician. Noted for his spectacular feats of mystery and skill, the legendary Houdini was also a loving son who took care of his mother after the death of his father. He was a fighter who sought to promote the truth about spiritual mediums and was a blatant supporter of self-promotion as well as a man with a very strong work ethic. To perform his feats precisely, Houdini struggled to remain physically fit, as he practiced his magic continuously. Houdini’s life is described in the context of the times of the late 1800s and early 1920s. Economic problems abound in the country, society has concerns about World War I, and the state of entertainment during this time period influences the attraction of the vaudeville stage, the desire to believe in mediums, and the success of Houdini’s advertising. Each chapter heading is designed as a vaudevillian placard and chapters are interspersed with photographs of Houdini at work, with his family, as well as with President Theodore Roosevelt. A chronology, bibliography, and an author’s note append the text.
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Holiday House, 2000. Grades 5-8.
Esperanza is the daughter of an affluent Mexican Rancher. She lives a life of great privilege and dreams of one day marrying the son of one of the areas richest families and then presiding over El Rancho de las Rosas. But her dreams are tragically shattered with the death of her beloved papa. Thirteen-year-old Esperanza and her mother are forced to flee Mexico to a farm labor camp in California during the Great Depression. Once in the United States they must adjust to life without servants and fancy dresses. The transition is not an easy one for Esperanza, who is confronted with a life of poverty, prejudice, hard work and earning acceptance. Pam Munoz Ryan weaves together historical facts and the daily struggles Esperanza faces into a compelling look at the Mexican workers’ plight and the injustices of the Mexican Deportation Act. Esperanza Rising is an unforgettable tale of a young girl who does not succumb to those who would hold her down while she transforms herself into a strong young woman who can not only take care of herself, but also her family.