Carnegie Medal books

Having finished reading the Newbery Medal winners, I'm continuing with the books which have been awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal - the British equivalent of the Newbery Medal, now awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

The medal was first awarded in 1937, for the best children's book of 1936, but there have been three years when no book was considered suitable, so there are only 71 winners thus far. In addition to the gold medal, the winner receives £500 worth of books to donate to a library of his/her/their choice.

Here's the list. (Dates marked in red indicate the six books I had already read before last year; dates in purple indicate the ones I've read since.)

1936: Pigeon Post, by Arthur Ransome
1937: The Family from One End Street, by Eve Garnett
1938: The Circus is Coming, by Noel Streatfield
1939: Radium Woman, by Eleanor Doorly
1940: Visitors from London, by Kitty Barne
1941: We Couldn't Leave Dinah, by Mary Treadgold
1942: The Little Grey Men, by 'BB' (D J Watkins-Pitchford)
1943: Prize withheld as no book was considered suitable
1944: The Wind on the Moon, by Eric Linklater
1945: Prize withheld as no book was considered suitable
1946: The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge
1947: Collected Stories for Children, Walter De La Mare
1948: Sea Change, by Richard Armstrong
1949: The Story of Your Home, by Agnes Allen
1950: The Lark on the Wing, by Elfrida Vipont Foulds
1951: The Woolpack, by Cynthia Harnett
1952: The Borrowers, by Mary Norton
1953: A Valley Grows Up, by Edward Osmond
1954: Knight Crusader, by Ronald Welch (Felton Ronald Oliver)
1955: The Little Bookroom, by Eleanor Farjeon
1956: The Last Battle, by C S Lewis
1957: A Grass Rope, by William Mayne
1958: Tom's Midnight Garden, by Philipa Pearce
1959: The Lantern Bearers, by Rosemary Sutcliff
1960: The Making of Man, by Dr I W Cornwall
1961: A Stranger at Green Knowe, by Lucy M Boston
1962: The Twelve and the Genii, by Pauline Clarke
1963: Time of Trial, by Hester Burton
1964: Nordy Bank, by Sheena Porter
1965: The Grange at High Force, by Philip Turner
1966: Prize withheld as no book was considered suitable
1967: The Owl Service, by Alan Garner
1968: The Moon in the Cloud, by Rosemary Harris
1969: The Edge of the Cloud, by Kathleen Peyton
1970: The God Beneath the Sea, by Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen
1971: Josh, by Ivan Southall
1972: Watership Down, by Richard Adams
1973: The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, by Penelope Lively
1974: The Stronghold, by Mollie Hunter
1975: The Machine Gunners, by Robert Westall
1976: Thunder and Lightnings, by Jan Mark
1977: The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler, by Gene Kemp
1978: The Exeter Blitz, by David Rees
1979: Tulku, by Peter Dickinson
1980: City of Gold, by Peter Dickinson
1981: The Scarecrows, by Robert Westall
1982: The Haunting, by Margaret Mahy
1983: Handles, by Jan Mark
1984: The Changeover, by Margaret Mahy
1985: Storm, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
1986: Granny was a Buffer Girl, by Berlie Doherty
1987: The Ghost Drum, by Susan Price
1988: A Pack of Lies, by Geraldine McCaughrean
1989: Goggle-eyes, by Anne Fine
1990: Wolf, by Gillian Cross
1991: Dear Nobody, by Berlie Doherty
1992: Flour Babies, by Anne Fine
1993: Stone Cold, by Robert Swindells
1994: Whispers in the Graveyard, by Theresa Breslin
1995: Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman*
1996: Junk, by Melvin Burgess
1997: River Boy, by Tim Bowler
1998: Skellig, by David Almond
1999: Postcards From No Man's Land, by Aidan Chambers
2000: The Other Side of Truth, by Beverley Naidoo
2001: The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett
2002: Ruby Holler, by Sharon Creech
2003: A Gathering Light, by Jennifer Donnelly
2004: Millions, by Frank Cottrell Boyce
2005: Tamar, by Mal Peet
2006: **
2007: Just in Case, by Meg Rosoff
2008: Here Lies Arthur, by Philip Reeve
2009: Bog Child, by Siobhan Dowd

So the count now is 19 down, 51 to go. Unfortunately, our local library system (Groton, Waterford and Mystic/Noank) only has a dozen or so of the ones I haven't read yet, so I'm going to have to make a lot of ILL requests....

Skellig is a very strange book....


* His Dark Materials, Book 1. Published in the US as The Golden Compass.

** Up through the award for 2005, the winners were referred to by the year of publication. Beginning in 2007, the winners were referred to by the year the award was given, as with the American Newbery Medal. Thus there is no "2006 winner" of the Carnegie Medal. Tamar, the 2005 winner, was published in '05, and received the medal in '06. Just in Case, the 2007 winner, was published in '06 and received the award in '07.

Victoria Cross: B. S. Kingsbury

BRUCE STEEL KINGSBURY

Private, 2nd/14th (Victoria) Battalion, Australian Military Forces

Born: 8 January 1918, Armadale, Melbourne, Australia
Died: 29 August 1942, near Isurava, New Guinea

Citation: In New Guinea, the Battalion to which Private Kingsbury belonged had been holding a position in the Isurava area for two days against continuous and fierce enemy attacks. On the 29th August, 1942, the enemy attacked in such force that they succeeded in breaking through the Battalion's right flank, creating a serious threat both to the rest of the Battalion and to its Headquarters. To avoid the situation becoming more desperate, it was essential to regain immediately the lost ground on the right flank.
Private Kingsbury, who was one of the few survivors of a Platoon which had been over-run and severely cut about by the enemy, immediately volunteered to join a different platoon which had been ordered to counter-attack.
He rushed forward firing his Bren Gun from the hip through terrific machine-gun fire and succeeded in clearing a path through the enemy. Continuing to sweep the enemy positions with his fire and inflicting an extremely high number of casualties on them, Private Kingsbury was seen to fall to the ground shot dead by the bullet from a sniper hiding in the wood.
Private Kingsbury displayed a complete disregard for his own safety. His initiative and superb courage made possible the recapture of the position which undoubtedly saved Battalion Headquarters, as well as causing heavy casualties amongst the enemy. His coolness, determination and devotion to duty in the face of great odds was an inspiration to his comrades.

Medal of Honor: J. Lummus

JACK LUMMUS

First Lieutenant, US Marine Corps Reserve; 2d Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division

Born: 22 October 1915, Ennie, Texas
Died: 8 March 1945, Iwo Jima

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as leader of a Rifle Platoon attached to the 2d Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 8 March 1945. Resuming his assault tactics with bold decision after fighting without respite for 2 days and nights, 1st Lt. Lummus slowly advanced his platoon against an enemy deeply entrenched in a network of mutually supporting positions. Suddenly halted by a terrific concentration of hostile fire, he unhesitatingly moved forward of his front lines in an effort to neutralize the Japanese position. Although knocked to the ground when an enemy grenade exploded close by, he immediately recovered himself and, again moving forward despite the intensified barrage, quickly located, attacked, and destroyed the occupied emplacement. Instantly taken under fire by the garrison of a supporting pillbox and further assailed by the slashing fury of hostile rifle fire, he fell under the impact of a second enemy grenade but, courageously disregarding painful shoulder wounds, staunchly continued his heroic 1-man assault and charged the second pillbox, annihilating all the occupants. Subsequently returning to his platoon position, he fearlessly traversed his lines under fire, encouraging his men to advance and directing the fire of supporting tanks against other stubbornly holding Japanese emplacements. Held up again by a devastating barrage, he again moved into the open, rushed a third heavily fortified installation and killed the defending troops. Determined to crush all resistance, he led his men indomitably, personally attacking foxholes and spider traps with his carbine and systematically reducing the fanatic opposition until, stepping on a land mine, he sustained fatal wounds. By his outstanding valor, skilled tactics, and tenacious perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, 1st Lt. Lummus had inspired his stouthearted marines to continue the relentless drive northward, thereby contributing materially to the success of his regimental mission. His dauntless leadership and unwavering devotion to duty throughout sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.

STS-132 and STS-133 crews announced

Actually, the STS-132 crew was announced a few months ago, but I haven't been paying proper attention to the space programme lately. ZUI this NASA press release dated 14 May 09:

NASA has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission STS-132, targeted for launch in April 2010. This flight will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module (MRM1) to the International Space Station.

Navy Capt. Ken Ham will command the shuttle Atlantis for this 11-day mission. Navy Cmdr. Tony Antonelli will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists are Navy Capt. Steve Bowen, Karen Nyberg, Garrett Reisman, and Piers Sellers.

This will be the third spaceflight for Sellers, and the second for each of the others.

Capt Ham (USN). Cdr Antonelli (USN). Capt Bowen (USN). Dr Nyberg. Dr Reisman. Dr Sellers.


For the shuttle programme's final flight, ZUI this press release dated 18 Sep:

NASA has assigned the crew for the last scheduled space shuttle mission, targeted to launch in September 2010. The flight to the International Space Station will carry a pressurized logistics module to the station.

Veteran shuttle commander and retired Air Force Col. Steven W. Lindsey will command the eight-day mission, designated STS-133. Air Force Col. Eric A. Boe will serve as the pilot; it will be his second flight as a shuttle pilot. Mission Specialists are shuttle mission veteran Air Force Col. Benjamin Alvin Drew, Jr., and long-duration spaceflight veterans Michael R. Barratt, Army Col. Timothy L. Kopra and Nicole P. Stott.

*******

Lindsey currently is chief of the Astronaut Office. Long-duration spaceflight veteran and former space station commander Peggy A. Whitson has been named his successor when Lindsey transitions in October to training for his spaceflight. Whitson was a flight engineer aboard the station during Expedition 5 in 2002 and the commander of Expedition 16 in 2007 to 2008.

This will be Lindsey's fifth spaceflight, and the second for each of the others.


Col Lindsey (USAF, ret). Col Boe (USAF). Col Drew (USAF). Dr Barratt. Col Kopra (US Army). Stott.

Victoria Cross: R. L. Zengel

RAPHAEL LOUIS ZENGEL, MM

Serjeant, 5th Battalion the Saskatchewan Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force

Born: 11 November 1894, Faribault, Minnesota, USA
Died: 27 February 1977, Errington, British Columbia, Canada

Citation: For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty while protecting the battalion right flank [on 9 August 1918, east of Warvillers, France]. He was leading his platoon gallantly forward to the attack, but had not gone far when he realised that a gap had occurred on his flank, and that an enemy machine gun was firing at close range into the advancing line. Grasping the situation, he rushed forward some 200 yards ahead of the platoon, tackled the machine-gun emplacement, killed the officer and operator of the gun, and dispersed the crew. By his boldness and prompt action he undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his comrades.
Later, when the battalion was held up by very heavy machine-gun fire, he displayed much tactical skill and directed his fire with destructive results. Shortly afterwards he was rendered unconscious for a few minutes by an enemy shell, but on recovering consciousness he at once continued to direct harassing fire on the enemy.
Sjt. Zengel's work throughout the attack was excellent, and his utter disregard for personal safety, and the confidence he inspired in all ranks, greatly assisted in bringing the attack to a successful end.

(London Gazette Issue 30922 dated 27 Sep 1918, published 24 Sep 1918.)

Medal of Honor: C. F. Schilt

CHRISTIAN FRANK SCHILT

First Lieutenant, US Marine Corps; Observation Squadron 7M

Born: 19 March 1895, Richland County, Illinois
Died: 8 January 1987

Citation: During the progress of an insurrection at Quilali, Nicaragua, 6, 7, and 8 January 1928, 1st Lt. Schilt, then a member of a marine expedition which had suffered severe losses in killed and wounded, volunteered under almost impossible conditions to evacuate the wounded by air and transport a relief commanding officer to assume charge of a very serious situation. 1st Lt. Schilt bravely undertook this dangerous and important task [in his Vought O2U Corsair] and, by taking off a total of 10 times in the rough, rolling street of a partially burning village, under hostile infantry fire on each occasion, succeeded in accomplishing his mission, thereby actually saving 3 lives and bringing supplies and aid to others in desperate need.


Note: Schilt retired in 1957 with the rank of general. His other awards included the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Combat "V," the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with Combat "V" and the Air Medal with four gold stars.

What's in a Name reading challenge

Another reading challenge I just stumbled across:

*This is a challenge that anyone can join, no matter what types of books they like to read. You should be able to find books from any genre that will work.

*Dates: January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009

*The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.

1. A book with a "profession" in its title. Examples might include: The Book Thief, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Historian

2. A book with a "time of day" in its title. Examples might include: Twilight, Four Past Midnight, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

3. A book with a "relative" in its title. Examples might include: Eight Cousins, My Father's Dragon, The Daughter of Time

4. A book with a "body part" in its title. Examples might include: The Bluest Eye, Bag of Bones, The Heart of Darkness

5. A book with a "building" in its title. Examples might include: Uncle Tom's Cabin, Little House on the Prairie, The Looming Tower

6. A book with a "medical condition" in its title. Examples might include: Insomnia, Coma, The Plague

*You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don't use the same book for more than one category.

*Again, there will be some small prizes scattered throughout. No set schedule, so just be sure to check in once a while. There will also be a prize awarded at the conclusion to one participant who completes the challenge.

*You don't need to decide exactly which books you will be reading ahead of time, though you're certainly welcome to. Either way, I'd love to see your lists of possibilities, and I'll bet everyone else would love to read them as well. To join in, simply leave a link here. Or, if you don't have a blog, simply leave your name (and feel free to share your list in the comments if you'd like).

Click on the picture above for the original post at What's in a Name-2.

I've already read books for items 1, 3 and 5* (and possibly 6) this year, so I'm off to a good start....


* Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson; Sister Light, Sister Dark, by Jane Yolen; and The Secret of the Old Mill, by "Franklin W Dixon."

WWII reading challenge

It's a little late, but I just found this reading challenge at War through the Generations.

War Through the Generation’s very first reading challenge will be World War II. The challenge will run from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2009.

Rules:

To participate in the WWII Reading Challenge, you must commit to reading at least five books throughout the year. We plan to read more than that, and feel free to do the same! The books can be fiction or non-fiction, and they can be about any aspect of WWII. WWII should be the primary or secondary theme, and it doesn’t matter whether the book takes place during the war or after the war. Children’s literature is acceptable! (Please visit the WWII Reading List page for some recommendations.) You can count books you are reading for other challenges, so long as they meet the aforementioned criteria.

You can decide which books you’d like to read right away, or you can choose them during the course of the challenge. However, when you sign up, we ask that you set a reading goal for the challenge. At the end of the challenge, those who met or exceeded their reading goals will be entered in a drawing (prizes to be announced later).


**Participants anywhere in the world are eligible for most prizes in the drawing!**

Click on the picture above for instructions on how to sign up.

I've already read three WWII books* this year, so I've signed up for a total of six.


* Shadows in the Jungle: The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines in World War II, by Larry Alexander; The Silver Sword (aka Escape from Warsaw), by Ian Serraillier; and Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story, by Baron Burkard von Müllenheim-Rechberg.

Hunches

"My rule with a hunch is that if it calls for more work, like right now, follow it. If it calls for less or something like skimping, then ignore it. If it's a case where there are sixteen leads and none more likely than any other and you might as well take them in alphabetical order, then a hunch might well be the back of your mind drawing your attention to something the front of your mind missed."

-- Jo Walton, Farthing

Medal of Honor to be presented Thursday

ZUI this article from www.Army.mil:

Ask anyone - family, friends, Soldiers - who knew Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti of the 10th Mountain Division, and they'll tell you he was the best friend, best Soldier, best noncommissioned officer, best person they ever knew.

*******

He was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class the following day and will be the first Soldier awarded the Medal of Honor for Operation Enduring Freedom Thursday, when President Barack Obama presents the nation's highest honor to Monti's parents in a White House ceremony. Monti will also be honored in a Pentagon ceremony Friday.

Monti earned the Medal when he and 15 other Soldiers became the first American servicemembers to ever set foot in the Gremen Valley, near the Pakistan border. Reports had showed insurgents were in the area, but not their exact location, their numbers or the types of weapons they had.

************* *** *************

JARED CHRISTOPHER MONTI

Sergeant First Class (then Staff Sergeant), US Army; 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)

Born: 20 September 1975, Abington, Massachusetts
Died: 21 June 2006, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sergeant First Class Monti distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a team leader with the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on 21 June 2006. On that day, Sergeant First Class Monti was leading a mission to gather intelligence and to direct fires against the enemy in support of a squadron-size interdiction mission. While at an observation position on top of a mountain ridge, Sergeant First Class Monti’s sixteen-man patrol came under attack by a superior force consisting of as many as 50 enemy fighters. On the verge of being overrun, Sergeant First Class Monti directed his patrol to set up a hasty defensive position behind a collection of rocks. He then began to call for indirect fire from a nearby support base; accurately bringing the rounds upon the enemy who had closed to within 50 meters of his position. While still calling for fire, Sergeant First Class Monti personally engaged the enemy with his rifle and a grenade, successfully disrupting an attempt to flank the patrol. Sergeant First Class Monti then realized that one of his Soldiers was lying wounded and exposed in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol’s position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Sergeant First Class Monti moved from behind the cover of the rocks into the face of withering enemy fire. After closing within meters of his wounded Soldier, the heavy volume of fire forced Sergeant First Class Monti to seek cover. Sergeant First Class Monti then gathered himself and rose again to maneuver through a barrage of enemy fire to save his wounded Soldier. Again, Sergeant First Class Monti was driven back by relentless enemy fire. Unwilling to leave his Soldier wounded and exposed, Sergeant First Class Monti made another attempt to move across open terrain and through the enemy fire to the aide of his wounded Soldier. On his third attempt, Sergeant First Class Monti was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his Soldier. Sergeant First Class Monti’s acts of heroism inspired the patrol to fight off the larger enemy force. Sergeant First Class Monti’s immeasurable courage and uncommon valor were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, 3d Squadron 71st Cavalry Regiment, the 3d Brigade Combat Team, the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), and the United States Army.

RIP: Gertrude Baines

Gertrude Baines
6 Apr 1894 - 11 Sep 2009

The oldest person in the world has died. ZUI this article from the Los Angeles Times:

Although she liked her bacon crispy and her chicken fried, she never drank, smoked or fooled around, Gertrude Baines once said, describing a life that lasted an astonishing 115 years and earned her the title of oldest person on the planet.

It was a title Baines quietly relinquished Friday when she died in her sleep at Western Convalescent Hospital, her home since she gave up living alone at age 107 after breaking a hip.

She likely suffered a heart attack, said her longtime physician, Dr. Charles Witt, although an autopsy was scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.

*******

Baines was born in Shellman, Ga., on April 6, 1894, when Grover Cleveland was in the White House, radio communication was just being developed and television was still more than a half-century from becoming a ubiquitous household presence.

She was 4 years old when the Spanish-American War broke out and 9 when the first World Series was played. She had already reached middle age by the time the U.S. entered World War II in 1941.

*******

The centenarian, who worked as a maid at Ohio State University dormitories until her retirement, had outlived all of her family members. Her only daughter died of typhoid at age 18.

In her final years, she passed her days watching her favorite TV program, "The Jerry Springer Show," and consuming her favorite foods: bacon, fried chicken and ice cream. She complained often, however, that the bacon served to her was too soft.

Baines is the first supercentenarian listed by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) to die since the death of Gertrude Noone on 10 September.

The GRG's list of validated living supercentenarians (people who have reached their 110th birthday) currently includes 72 people (4 men and 68 women), ranging from Kama Chinen of Japan (born 10 May 1895) to Ruth Anderson of Minnesota (born 24 Jul 1899). The oldest person in the United States is now Mary Josephine Ray of New Hampshire (born 17 May 1895 in Canada), the world's second-oldest person; 26 other supercentenarians live in the US, though none are in California.

RIP: Gertrude Noone

Gertrude Noone
30 Dec 1898-10 Sep 2009

The oldest military veteran in the world has died. ZUI this article from the Los Angeles Times:

Gertrude Noone was a 44-year-old insurance policy clerk for Travelers in Hartford, Conn., in 1943 when she enlisted in the Women's Army Corps.

When she died peacefully Thursday morning at age 110 at an assisted-living facility in Milford, Conn., she was the oldest known living military veteran in the world -- a fact that made her proud.

*******

Noone, who rose to the rank of sergeant first class, was chief clerk of the large dispensary at Ft. Myer, Va., by the time she left the Army in 1949. She then worked as an administrative assistant at a private psychiatric hospital in Stamford, Conn., until retiring in 1962.

Bob Johnson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who has spent the last 19 years helping World War I and World War II veterans receive recognition and awards, said the title of the world's oldest known living military veteran passed to Noone when British World War I veteran Harry Patch died July 25 at 111.

*******

One of 10 children, Noone was born Dec. 30, 1898, in Ansonia, Conn.

All nine of Noone's siblings predeceased her. The most recent was her sister Esther Balogh, who served as an Army nurse during World War II and died in 2003 at 103.

Noone, who never married, lived with Balogh for many years until 2002, when she moved into Carriage Green, where she joined the gardening club and participated in a weekly exercise group.

There are still three living World War I veterans, but the oldest - John Babcock, a Canadian now living in the US - is only 109.

Noone, who at the time of her death was the 60th-oldest person in the world, is the fourth supercentenarian listed by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) to die since the death of Harry Patch. The others were Ethel Johnson of Ohio (28 Sep 1897-29 Jul 2009), Sarah Wilkins of Iowa (27 Mar 1899-8 Aug 2009) and Pasqualina Franco of Ontario (2 Dec 1898-16 Aug 2009).

Victoria Cross: H. W. Pitcher and G. V. Fosbery

HENRY WILLIAM PITCHER

Lieutenant, 4th Punjab Infantry, Bengal Staff Corps

Born: 20 December 1841, Bath, Somerset
Died: 5 July 1875, Dehra Ghazi Khan, India

Citation: For the daring and gallant manner in which, in the course of the recent operations against the Frontier Tribes, on the 30th October, 1863, he led a party of his Regiment to re-capture the Crag Picket, after its garrison had been driven in by the enemy; on which occasion sixty of them were killed in desperate hand to hand fighting.
From the nature of the approach to the top of the Crag, amongst the large rocks, one or two men only could advance at one time; "and while I ascended one path," relates Major Keyes, commanding the 1st Punjab Infantry, "I directed Lieutenant Fosbery, of the late 4th European Regiment, to push up another, at the head of a few men. He led this party with the greatest coolness and intrepidity, and was the first man to gain the top of the Crag, on his side of the attack. Lieutenant Pitcher, equally cool and daring, led a party of men up to the last rock, until he was knocked down and stunned by a large stone thrown from above, within a few yards of him."
Lieutenant Pitcher also displayed great gallantry in leading on a party of his Regiment to endeavour to recover the Crag Picket, when it again fell into the enemy's hands, on the 13th of November, as related in the following extract from Major Keyes' report of the 16th of that month;
"The duty of leading the first charge devolved upon Lieutenant Pitcher, and I beg to bring to the special notice of the Brigadier-General Commanding, the admirable manner in which he performed this important duty. He was by many yards the foremost of his party, and the gallant bearing of this excellent young Officer was the admiration of all spectators. It is impossible to say too much, or to over-rate his services on this occasion. Lieutenant Pitcher was severely wounded, and was obliged to be carried back."

[London Gazette issue 22876 dtd 19 Jul 1864, published 19 Jul 1864.]



GEORGE VINCENT FOSBERY

Lieutenant, 4th Bengal European Regiment, British Indian Army

Born: 11 April 1832, Stert, Wiltshire
Died: 8 May 1907, Bath, Somerset

Citation: For the daring and gallant manner in which, on the 30th of October, 1863, acting as a Volunteer at the time, he led a party of his Regiment to re-capture the Crag Picquet, after its garrison had been driven in by the enemy, on which occasion sixty of them were killed in desperate hand to hand fighting.
From the nature of the approach to the top of the Crag, amongst the large rocks, one or two men only could advance at one time; and "whilst I ascended one path," relates Lieutenant-Colonel Keyes, C.B., commanding the 1st Punjab Infantry, "I directed Lieutenant Fosbery, of the late 4th European Regiment, to push up another at the head of a few men. He led this party with the greatest coolness and intrepidity, and was the first man to gain the top of the Crag on his side of the attack."
Subsequently, Lieutenant-Colonel Keyes being wounded, Lieutenant Fosbery assembled a party with which he pursued the routed enemy in the direction of the Lalloo ridge, inflicting on them further loss and confirming possession of the post.

[London Gazette issue 22988 dated 7 Jul 1865, published 7 Jul 1865.]


Note: Fosbery was the inventor of the Paradox rifle/shotgun, and also of a self-cocking revolver, which was manufactured by the Webley & Scott Revolver & Arms Company.

Medal of Honor: A. Savage

AUZELLA SAVAGE

Ordinary Seaman, US Navy; USS Santiago de Cuba

Born: 1846, Maine
Died: at sea

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba in the assault on Fort Fisher, [near Wilmington, North Carolina, on] 15 January 1865. When the landing party to which he was attached charged on the fort with a cheer, and the determination to plant the colors on the ramparts, Savage remained steadfast when more than two-thirds of the marines and sailors fell back in panic during the fight. When enemy fire shot away the flagstaff above his hand, he bravely seized the remainder of the staff and brought his colors safely off.

Operational Honours and Awards List

A new Operational Honours and Awards List has been issued by the Ministry of Defence. ZUI this article from the MOD Defence News:

A total of 145 members of the Armed Forces have received honours and awards in the Operational Honours List dated today, 11 September 2009.

Amongst the awards is a Military Cross given to Medical Assistant Class 1 Kate Louise Nesbitt, RN, for service in Afghanistan - the first MC awarded to a woman in the Royal Navy and only the second MC awarded to any woman. ZUI this article from The Times:

A 20-year-old medic who repeatedly rushed forward to save colleagues while under attack from the Taleban has become the first woman in the Royal Navy to be awarded the Military Cross and only the second in the Armed Forces.

Able Seaman Class 1 Kate Nesbitt tended wounded colleagues from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines several times when they came under fire while on patrol in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence said: “Able Seaman Nesbitt’s actions throughout a series of offensive operations were exemplary. Under fire and under pressure her commitment and courage were inspirational and made the difference between life and death. She performed in the highest traditions of her service.”

The Military Cross is given to members of the Armed Forces “for exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy”, and ranks below only the Victoria Cross and Conspicuous Gallantry Cross as a recognition of bravery in battle.

Private Michelle Norris, 18, a medic with the Royal Army Medical Corps, was the first woman to win the Military Cross. She braved heavy sniper and machinegun fire from 200 insurgents during a fierce battle in southern Iraq in 2006. She climbed on top of an armoured vehicle to give life-saving treatment to a comrade.

This article from The Telegraph includes brief descriptions of some of the awards, as does this one from the BBC.

Able Seaman Kate Nesbitt MC

Operation Yes (Sara Lewis Holmes)

I read a lot of books, but seldom write reviews - for the simple reason that I hate writing reviews. The process always reminds me of high-school English class, where we would read a perfectly good story and then ruin it by dissecting it. (I'm a surface reader - I read the story exactly as written, without regard for possible parables, allegories or other hidden meanings.) This week, however....

I mentioned a while back that one of the books I was looking forward to this year was Operation Yes, by Sara Lewis Holmes. It finally came out on 1 September, and it was well worth the wait.

The book is set on an Air Force base in North Carolina. Bo Whaley, son of the base commander, doesn't like school; he's acquired a reputation as a troublemaker, too. Gari Whaley doesn't want to spend a year with her uncle Phil's family, but her mother is an Army nurse who's being sent to Iraq for a year. Bo and Gari are both going to be in the sixth grade at Young Oaks School.

Carol Loupe dropped out of the Air Force Academy to become a teacher. She's the only one in her family who isn't in the service - her sister is an Air Force pilot, one brother is at the Academy and the other brother is part of a Special Forces team in Afghanistan. Miss Loupe is also at Young Oaks, doing her first year as a sixth-grade teacher.

Miss Loupe is a very active teacher. On the first day of school, she is down on her knees, taping off a rectangle on the classroom floor whilst calling roll (from memory). The Taped Space is meant to be a stage for improv, leading to some wild scenes. Unfortunately, the School Commission is coming to do a material inspection of the school, and theatre isn't part of the state-approved sixth-grade curriculum....

And then Miss Loupe receives bad news. Very bad news. And Bo, Gari and the rest of the sixth grade - aided by their first-grade reading buddies and 100,000 Little Green Men - set out to help her recover.

Holmes, I believe, was an Air Force brat; she's now an Air Force wife. So her descriptions of life on base sound right, and she deals well with problems like Gari's separation from her mother or Bo's worries about what will happen when his father transfers next year. Favourite bits include the school librarian, who uses book titles as cuss words ("Frog and Toad!" Miss Candy said.); the FOD walkdown Bo organises to find a lost pendant; the performance presented by the Ugly Couch Players, and:

"A milk run is a routine mission," said Mr. Nix to his class as they came through the line. "Does anyone know what the opposite of routine is?"
One of his first graders tried to raise her hand and dropped her pudding. A glob of it landed on his shoe.
"No, that's not it," said Mr. Nix.

Operation Yes, by Sara Lewis Holmes. Scholastic, 2009. Ages 9-12 (though our public library lists it as YA). Available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, of course - though buying through IndieBound or from your local independent bookseller is highly recommended!

Victoria Cross: R. H. Gray

ROBERT HAMPTON GRAY

Temporary Lieutenant, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve; 1841 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm (on board HMS Formidable)

Born: 2 November 1917, Trail, British Columbia, Canada
Died: 9 August 1945, Onagawa Wan (Onagawa Bay), Japan

Citation: For great valour in leading an attack on a Japanese destroyer in Onagawa Wan on 9th August, 1945. In the face of fire from shore batteries and a heavy concentration of fire from some five warships Lieutenant Gray pressed home his attack, flying very low in order to ensure success, and, although he was hit and his aircraft was in flames, he obtained at least one direct hit, sinking the destroyer. Lieutenant Gray has consistently shown a brilliant fighting spirit and most inspiring leadership.

(London Gazette Issue 37346 dated 13 Nov 1945, published 9 Nov 1945.)




Note: Lieutenant Gray was the last Canadian to win the Victoria Cross. His target was the Etorofu-class escort Amakusa.

Medal of Honor: L. P. Sijan

LANCE P SIJAN

Captain, US Air Force; 366th Fighter Wing/4th Allied POW Wing

Born: 13 April 1942, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Died: 22 January 1968, Hoa Lo, North Vietnam

Citation: While on a flight over North Vietnam [on 9 November 1967], Capt. Sijan ejected from his disabled [F-4C] aircraft and successfully evaded capture for more than 6 weeks. During this time, he was seriously injured and suffered from shock and extreme weight loss due to lack of food. After being captured by North Vietnamese soldiers, Capt. Sijan was taken to a holding point for subsequent transfer to a prisoner of war camp. In his emaciated and crippled condition, he overpowered 1 of his guards and crawled into the jungle, only to be recaptured after several hours. He was then transferred to another prison camp where he was kept in solitary confinement and interrogated at length. During interrogation, he was severely tortured; however, he did not divulge any information to his captors. Capt. Sijan lapsed into delirium and was placed in the care of another prisoner. During his intermittent periods of consciousness until his death, he never complained of his physical condition and, on several occasions, spoke of future escape attempts. Capt. Sijan's extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the cost of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.

J. R. Rustin

ZUI this article - "Chipley Native - Medal of Honor Recipient - Dies" - from the Foster Folly News*:

James Relius "Dick" Rustin (1929-2009), went to be with the Lord on August 29, 2009. He was born on November 29, 1929 in Chipley, Florida. He had a life span of 79 years which included a much honored military career.

For two years he served with the U.S. Marine Corp, then transferred into the U.S. Army where he served for 20 years. As well as serving in the Korean War and World War II, Dick was awarded many military honors including the Medal of Honor.

However, the Army's Medal of Honor page does not list a medal awarded to anyone named Rustin in either World War I or Korea (or for that matter, Vietnam). And if Mr Rustin was in fact born on 29 Nov 1929, he was only 15 years old when World War II ended, making his service in that war highly unlikely.

Something seems amiss....


* "A Washington County Florida Community Newspaper"

First Elizabeth Cross presented

ZUI this article from the MOD Defence News:

The first Elizabeth Cross, awarded to families of Service personnel killed on operations in recognition of their loss, has been presented to the family of Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Sean Upton today.

WO2 Sean Upton, from 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, was killed in an explosion while on a foot patrol in Sangin district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on 27 July 2009.

His family were presented with the Elizabeth Cross at his funeral in Catterick today, Tuesday 18 August 2009.

Book list - Aug 09

Strawberry Girl - children's, by Lois Lenski (Newbery Medal, 1946) *
The Grey King - children's modern fantasy, by Susan Cooper (Newbery Medal, 1976)
Tomorrow's Magic - fantasy, by Pamela F Service
Daniel Boone - children's biography, by James Daugherty (Newbery Medal, 1940)
Winter in Thrush Green - fiction, by Miss Read
The Spartacus War - ancient history, by Barry S Strauss
Battles at Thrush Green - fiction, by Miss Read
The Last Thing I Remember - YA thriller, by Andrew Klavan
Driving Like Crazy - automobiles, by P J O'Rourke
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler - children's, by E L Konigsburg (Newbery Medal, 1968) *
Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story - WW II, by Burkard Freiherr von Müllenheim-Rechberg
A Wrinkle in Time - children's, by Madeleine L'Engle (Newbery Medal, 1963) *
The Tomorrow Code - YA SF, by Brian Falkner
Many Skies: Alternative Histories of the Sun, Moon, Planets, and Stars - AH/astronomy, by Arthur R Upgren
Saint Antony's Fire - AH/SF, by Steve White
Ordinary Jack - children's, by Helen Cresswell
Time Out - children's time travel, by Helen Cresswell
Shelter Me - YA historical fiction, by Alex McAulay
Gateway - SF, by Frederik Pohl
Absolute Zero - children's, by Helen Cresswell
A Wind in the Door - children's, by Madeleine L'Engle


21 books this month, with three rereads. To reach my goal of 209 books this year, I have to average 17.417 per month, so I'm currently three behind track. Almost caught up!

When I finished reading Daniel Boone on 7 August, it meant that I had read all 88 winners of the John Newbery Medal. Finishing my reread of A Wrinkle in Time on 21 August meant that I had finished reading all 88 within the last two and a half years. I commented on them here.

No Carnegie Medal winners this month, so I'm still at 16 of 70. It's been suggested that I should start reading the Caldecott Medal winners next. Perhaps....

Victoria Cross: F. S. Le Quesne

FERDINAND SIMEON LE QUESNE

Surgeon, Medical Staff; Chin Field Force

Born: 25 December 1863, Jersey, Channel Islands
Died: 14 April 1950, Bristol

Citation: Displayed conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during the attack on the village of Tartan [Burma], by a Column of the Chin Field Force, on the 4th May last [1889], in having remained for the space of about ten minutes, in a very exposed position (within five yards of the loop-holed stockade from which the enemy were firing), dressing with perfect coolness and self-possession the wounds from which Second Lieutenant Michel, Norfolk Regiment, shortly afterwards died. Surgeon Le Quesne was himself severely wounded later on whilst attending to the wounds of another Officer.

(London Gazette issue 25988 dated 29 Oct 1889, published 29 Oct 1889.)

Medal of Honor: H. A. Garman

HAROLD ALVA GARMAN

Private, US Army; Company B, 5th Medical Battalion, 5th Infantry Division

Born: 26 February 1918, Fairfield, Illinois
Died: 30 August 1992, Illinois (?)

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 25 August 1944, in the vicinity of Montereau, France, the enemy was sharply contesting any enlargement of the bridgehead which our forces had established on the northern bank of the Seine River in this sector. Casualties were being evacuated to the southern shore in assault boats paddled by litter bearers from a medical battalion. Pvt. Garman, also a litter bearer in this battalion, was working on the friendly shore carrying the wounded from the boats to waiting ambulances. As 1 boatload of wounded reached midstream, a German machinegun suddenly opened fire upon it from a commanding position on the northern bank 100 yards away. All of the men in the boat immediately took to the water except 1 man who was so badly wounded he could not rise from his litter. Two other patients who were unable to swim because of their wounds clung to the sides of the boat. Seeing the extreme danger of these patients, Pvt. Garman without a moment's hesitation plunged into the Seine. Swimming directly into a hail of machinegun bullets, he rapidly reached the assault boat and then while still under accurately aimed fire towed the boat with great effort to the southern shore. This soldier's moving heroism not only saved the lives of the three patients but so inspired his comrades that additional assault boats were immediately procured and the evacuation of the wounded resumed. Pvt. Garman's great courage and his heroic devotion to the highest tenets of the Medical Corps may be written with great pride in the annals of the corps.

Medal of Honor to be awarded for Afghanistan

I missed this story last month. ZUI this article (dated 24 Jul 09) from Army Times:

Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti, who was killed in Afghanistan June 21, 2006, will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat, his father, Paul Monti, told Army Times in a telephone interview Thursday.

*******

Sgt. 1st Class Monti, 30, was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, when he was killed in Afghanistan.

He will become the sixth service member to receive the Medal of Honor during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the first soldier to receive the nation’s highest award for valor in Afghanistan. Navy Lt. Michael Murphy is the only other service member to receive the award for actions in Afghanistan.

ZUI also this article from the Catholic News Service:

According to [1SG Gary] Hunsucker, Monti led a group of 15 scouts on a reconnaissance mission in Gowardesh. Hunsucker was in charge of planning the mission, watching back at the base. Monti was in charge of the soldiers.

*******

Hunsucker said Monti and another sergeant fought hard to keep the enemy from advancing. Monti then pulled Pvt. Brian Bradbury to a waiting medevac helicopter. But in the process, he was exposed to enemy fire. An RPG landed close to him, killing him.

When he died, Monti held the rank of staff sergeant, and was promoted to sergeant first class posthumously.

Victoria Cross: A. W. S. Agar

AUGUSTINE (or AUGUSTUS) WILLINGTON SHELTON AGAR

Lieutenant, Royal Navy; commanding HM Coastal Motor Boat No 4

Born: 4 January 1890, Kandy, Ceylon
Died: 30 December 1968, Alton, Hampshire

Citation: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to
Lieutenant Augustine Willington Shelton Agar, R.N.,
in recognition of his conspicuous gallantry, coolness and skill under extremely difficult conditions in action.

[London Gazette issue 31516 dated 22 Aug 1919, published 19 Aug 1919.]


Note: On 17 June 1919, Lieutenant Agar (whose first name is given in most places as Augustus, rather than Augustine) took HM Coastal Motor Boat 4 into the bay at Kronstadt, Russia. Penetrating a destroyer screen, he torpedoed and sank the Russian cruiser Oleg, then escaped under heavy fire. Apparently the paucity of information given in the citation was to protect Agar, as the Bolshevik government of Russia had offered a £5,000 reward for the perpetrator of this attack.
Having shown that Kronstadt could be attacked in this manner, Agar participated in a second attack on the Russian fleet. Seven CMBs took part in this attack, sinking the battleship Andrei Pervozvanny and submarine tender Pamiat Azova, and damaging the battleship Petropavlovsk. Two Victoria Crosses were awarded for this action - to Cmdr C C Dobson DSO and Lieut S G Steele - and Agar was one of four men who received the OBE; seven others received the DSC. (See London Gazette issue 31638, dated 11 Nov 1919.)
Agar was later commanding officer of the heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire when that ship was sunk by Japanese dive bombers in 1942.

Medal of Honor: J. T. Boone

JOEL THOMPSON BOONE

Lieutenant, Medical Corps, US Navy; 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Division, American Expeditionary Force

Born: 2 August 1889, St Clair, Pennsylvania
Died: 2 April 1974, Washington DC

Citation: For extraordinary heroism, conspicuous gallantry, and intrepidity while serving with the 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in actual conflict with the enemy [near Vierzy, France, on 19 July 1918]. With absolute disregard for personal safety, ever conscious and mindful of the suffering fallen, Surg. Boone, leaving the shelter of a ravine, went forward onto the open field where there was no protection and despite the extreme enemy fire of all calibers, through a heavy mist of gas, applied dressings and first aid to wounded marines. This occurred southeast of Vierzy, near the cemetery, and on the road south from that town. When the dressings and supplies had been exhausted, he went through a heavy barrage of large-caliber shells, both high explosive and gas, to replenish these supplies, returning quickly with a sidecar load, and administered them in saving the lives of the wounded. A second trip, under the same conditions and for the same purpose, was made by Surg. Boone later that day.


Note: Boone retired from active duty as a Vice Admiral in 1950. USS Boone (FFG 28) was named in his honour.

Victoria Cross: P. H. Cherry

PERCY HERBERT CHERRY MC

Captain, 26th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force

Born: 4 June 1895, Drysdale, Victoria, Australia
Died: 27 March 1917, near Lagnicourt, France

Citation: For most conspicuous bravery, determination and leadership when in command of a company detailed to storm and clear a village [on 26 March 1917].
After all the officers of his company had become casualties he carried on with care and determination, in the face of fierce opposition, and cleared the village of the enemy.
He sent frequent reports of progress made, and when held up for some time by an enemy strong point he organised machine gun and bomb parties and captured the position. His leadership, coolness and bravery set a wonderful example to his men.
Having cleared the village, he took charge of the situation and beat off the most resolute and heavy counter-attacks made by the enemy.
Wounded about 6.30 a.m., he refused to leave his post, and there remained, encouraging all to hold out at all costs, until, about 4.30 p.m., this very gallant officer was killed by an enemy shell.

[London Gazette issue 30064 dtd 11 May 1917, published 11 May 1917.]

Amendment.
Capt. Percy Herbert Cherry, V.C., M.C., late Aus. Imp. Force, is now correctly described.
The rank was incorrectly stated [as 2nd Lt. (temp. Capt.)] on page 4587 of the Gazette dated 11th May 1917.

[London Gazette issue 30104 dtd 31 May 1917, published 29 May 1917.]

Medal of Honor: P. R. Vaughn

PINKERTON R VAUGHN

Sergeant, US Marine Corps; USS Mississippi

Born: 1839, Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Died: 22 August 1866

Citation: Serving on board the [sidewheel steamer] U.S.S. Mississippi during her abandonment and firing in the action with the Port Hudson batteries, 14 March 1863. During the abandonment of the Mississippi which had to be grounded, Sgt. Vaughn rendered invaluable assistance to his commanding officer, remaining with the ship until all the crew had landed and the ship had been fired to prevent its falling into enemy hands. Persistent until the last, and conspicuously cool under the heavy shellfire, Sgt. Vaughn was finally ordered to save himself as he saw fit.

Newbery Medal books

I finished reading the last of the John Newbery Medal winners the other day. In March of '07, I took a look at a list of the 86 winners (now 88) of the medal, which is presented annually to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" (ie, the "best" new children's/YA book published in the US during the preceding year). I was quite surprised to discover that I had only read seven of the books, and that the newest of those seven was forty years old. The seven were:

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (the 1923 winner, by Hugh Lofting) Rabbit Hill (1945, Robert Lawson) Strawberry Girl (1946, Lois Lenski) The Twenty-One Balloons (1948, William Pène du Bois) A Wrinkle in Time (1963, Madeleine L'Engle) It's Like This, Cat (1964, Emily Neville) From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler (1968, E L Konigsburg)

So I began reading my way through the list. They're a very mixed bag. The first winner, The Story of Mankind (1922, Hendrik Willem van Loon) is a history of the world*. There are four biographies (of Louisa May Alcott, Daniel Boone, Amos Fortune and Abraham Lincoln), two books of poetry, and a book of short "plays" that might as well be poetry. There's a lot of historical fiction, ranging from mediaeval England (Adam of the Road, The Door in the Wall) to the American Revolution (Johnny Tremain) to the USCW (Rifles for Watie) to 12th-century Korea (A Single Shard) to 17th-century Spain (I, Juan de Pareja) to WWII Denmark (Number the Stars). There's a bit of fantasy, both high fantasy like The Hero and the Crown and modern-world-with-magic stuff like The Grey King, and I think A Wrinkle in Time is normally classified as science fiction. And, of course, there are plenty of "regular" books like Thimble Summer, Miracles on Maple Hill, Criss Cross and It's Like This, Cat. Some of them called for a bit of extra reading: Dicey's Song (1983, Cynthia Voigt), for instance, was the second in a series, The High King (1969, Lloyd Alexander) was the fifth, and The Grey King (1976, Susan Cooper) was the fourth, and I figured they'd make a little more sense to me if I read the preceding books first. As could be expected, there were some I liked and others I disliked. My favourites (in order of publication) were:

Rabbit Hill (1945, Robert Lawson)
Miracles on Maple Hill (1957, Virginia Sorensen)
Onion John (1960, Joseph Krumgold)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler (1968, E L Konigsburg)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1977, Mildred D Taylor)
The Westing Game (1979, Ellen Raskin)
Dicey's Song (1983, Cynthia Voigt)
Number the Stars (1990, Lois Lowry)
Maniac Magee (1991, Jerry Spinelli)
Walk Two Moons (1995, Sharon Creech)
The Graveyard Book (2009, Neil Gaiman)

It's hard to name a single, number-one favourite, but Dicey's Song may be the one - I enjoyed it and its prequel, Homecoming, so much that I went on to read three other books in the series. On the other hand, I've read Frankweiler several times through the years....
The ones I really didn't care for were (same order):

Smoky, the Cowhorse (1927, Will James)
Dobry (1935, Monica Shannon)
The White Stag (1938, Kate Seredy)
Secret of the Andes (1953, Ann Nolan Clark)
The Bronze Bow (1962, Elizabeth George Speare)
Out of the Dust (1998, Karen Hesse)
Kira-Kira (2005, Cynthia Kadohata)

Fortunately, there were more books in the first group than the second! Smoky, the Cowhorse is just what the title implies: A book about a cow pony. Not a bad story overall, but the book is written in dialect. Not just the dialogue - the whole bloody book! A little of that goes a long, long way indeed. Dobry is about a Bulgarian peasant boy who wants to become a sculptor. Kira-Kira is about a Japanese family - two girls and their parents - living in rural Georgia in the 1950s. In both cases, I couldn't really develop an interest in either the protagonists or their situation. The White Stag is apparently based on Hungarian legend. I can't really say why I didn't care for it; I just didn't. Secret of the Andes is about a young boy raised high in the mountains as a heir to the Incas. I thought this one was just plain boring. Extremely boring. Ditto The Bronze Bow, which is about a band of Jewish rebels in early first-century Judaea. Out of the Dust is about a family in Dust Bowl Oklahoma. The mother and her baby die as the result of a rather horrible accident, leaving the daughter and her father to try to keep the family farm going. This could have been a very good book - both the plot and the characters were interesting - but unfortunately Hesse wrote the story not as a novel, but as a series of poems. I'm not all that big on poetry to begin with, and when I do I want both rhyme and metre. Blank verse just doesn't do a thing for me. I'm somewhat ambivalent about A Wrinkle in Time - I really enjoyed it when I first read it, back in fourth grade**, but when I tried rereading it a few years ago I couldn't finish it. It's one of the two books I'd read before that I haven't reread yet this year; we'll see what I think of it this time round. I couldn't make up my mind if I liked Criss Cross (2006, Lynne Rae Perkins) or not. My 13-year-old daughter agrees with me that it is a very peculiar story. Here's the complete list:

1922: The Story of Mankind, by Hendrik Willem van Loon
1923: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting
1924: The Dark Frigate, by Charles Hawes
1925: Tales from Silver Lands, by Charles J Finger
1926: Shen of the Sea, by Arthur Bowie Chrisman
1927: Smoky, the Cowhorse, by Will James
1928: Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon, by Dhan Gopal Mukerji
1929: The Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric P. Kelly
1930: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field
1931: The Cat Who Went to Heaven, by Elizabeth Coatsworth
1932: Waterless Mountain, by Laura Adams Armer
1933: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, by Elizabeth Lewis
1934: Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women, by Cornelia Meigs
1935: Dobry, by Monica Shannon
1936: Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink
1937: Roller Skates, by Ruth Sawyer
1938: The White Stag, by Kate Seredy
1939: Thimble Summer, by Elizabeth Enright
1940: Daniel Boone, by James Daugherty
1941: Call It Courage, by Armstrong Sperry
1942: The Matchlock Gun, by Walter Edmonds
1943: Adam of the Road, by Elizabeth Janet Gray
1944: Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes
1945: Rabbit Hill, by Robert Lawson
1946: Strawberry Girl, by Lois Lenski
1947: Miss Hickory, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
1948: The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pène du Bois
1949: King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry
1950: The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite de Angeli
1951: Amos Fortune, Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates
1952: Ginger Pye, by Eleanor Estes
1953: Secret of the Andes, by Ann Nolan Clark
1954: ...And Now Miguel, by Joseph Krumgold
1955: The Wheel on the School, by Meindert DeJong
1956: Carry On, Mr Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham
1957: Miracles on Maple Hill, by Virginia Sorensen
1958: Rifles for Watie, by Harold Keith
1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare
1960: Onion John, by Joseph Krumgold
1961: Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
1962: The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare
1963: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle
1964: It's Like This, Cat, by Emily Neville
1965: Shadow of a Bull, by Maia Wojciechowska
1966: I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
1967: Up a Road Slowly, by Irene Hunt
1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, by E L Konigsburg
1969: The High King, by Lloyd Alexander
1970: Sounder, by William H Armstrong
1971: The Summer of the Swans, by Betsy Byars
1972: Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C O'Brien
1973: Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
1974: The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox
1975: M C Higgins, the Great, by Virginia Hamilton
1976: The Grey King, by Susan Cooper
1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D Taylor
1978: Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
1979: The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin
1980: A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832, by Joan W Blos
1981: Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson
1982: A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers, by Nancy Willard
1983: Dicey's Song, by Cynthia Voigt
1984: Dear Mr Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary
1985: The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
1986: Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan
1987: The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman
1988: Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman
1989: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, by Paul Fleischman
1990: Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
1991: Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli
1992: Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
1993: Missing May, by Cynthia Rylant
1994: The Giver, by Lois Lowry
1995: Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech
1996: The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman
1997: The View from Saturday, by E L Konigsburg
1998: Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse
1999: Holes, by Louis Sachar
2000: Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis
2001: A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck
2002: A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park
2003: Crispin: The Cross of Lead, by Avi
2004: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, by Kate DiCamillo
2005: Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata
2006: Criss Cross, by Lynne Rae Perkins
2007: The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron, illustrated by Matt Phelan
2008: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village, by Laura Amy Schlitz
2009: The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

As you can see, a few fortunate writers have won the medal twice: Joseph Krumgold (1954 and 1960), Elizabeth George Speare (1959, 1962), E L Konigsburg (1968, 1997), Katherine Paterson (1978, 1981) and Lois Lowry (1990, 1994). Sharon Creech is the only author thus far to receive both the Newbery Medal (1995) and its British equivalent, the Carnegie Medal (2002, for Ruby Holler).
Wendy Burton, at Six Boxes of Books, finished reading all of the Newbery winners last year. Her three-part commentary can be found here, here and here. The Newbery Project has reviews of all 88 books, written by various contributors to the blog. Note: Amazon links are provided for reference, and to let you read other people's reviews of the books. As always, buying from your local independent bookstore is encouraged. Daniel Boone, I think, is the only Newbery winner not still in print, and I had no trouble obtaining it by ILL. * There's a movie! ** Three cheers for Scholastic books and their in-school orders.

Victoria Cross: F. Konowal

FILIP KONOWAL

Acting Corporal, 47th Battalion, British Columbia Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force

Born: 15 September 1888, Podolsky, Ukraine, Russia
Died: 3 June 1959, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Citation: For most conspicuous bravery and leadership [during the period 22nd to 24th August 1917] when in charge of a section in attack [at Lens, France]. His section had the difficult task of mopping up cellars, craters and machine-gun emplacements. Under his able direction all resistance was overcome successfully, and heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy. In one cellar he himself bayonetted three enemy and attacked single-handed seven others in a crater, killing them all.
On reaching the objective, a machine-gun was holding up the right flank, causing many casualties. Cpl. Konowal rushed forward and entered the emplacement, killed the crew, and brought the gun back to our lines.
The next day he again attacked single-handed another machine-gun emplacement, killed three of the crew, and destroyed the gun and emplacement with explosives.
This non-commissioned officer alone killed at least sixteen of the enemy, and during the two days' actual fighting carried on continuously his good work until severely wounded.

(London Gazette Issue 30400 dated 26 Nov 1917, published 23 Nov 1917.)

Medal of Honor: P. M. Guenette

PETER M GUENETTE

Specialist Fourth Class, US Army; Company D, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)

Born: 4 January 1948, Troy, New York
Died: 18 May 1968, Quan Tan Uyen Province, Republic of Vietnam

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Guenette distinguished himself while serving as a machine gunner with Company D, during combat operations [in Quan Tan Uyen Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 18 May 1968]. While Sp4c. Guenette's platoon was sweeping a suspected enemy base camp, it came under light harassing fire from a well equipped and firmly entrenched squad of North Vietnamese Army regulars which was serving as a delaying force at the entrance to their base camp. As the platoon moved within 10 meters of the fortified positions, the enemy fire became intense. Sp4c. Guenette and his assistant gunner immediately began to provide a base of suppressive fire, ceasing momentarily to allow the assistant gunner time to throw a grenade into a bunker. Seconds later, an enemy grenade was thrown to Sp4c. Guenette's right flank. Realizing that the grenade would kill or wound at least 4 men and destroy the machine gun, he shouted a warning and smothered the grenade with his body, absorbing its blast. Through his actions, he prevented loss of life or injury to at least 3 men and enabled his comrades to maintain their fire superiority. By his gallantry at the cost of his life in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, Sp4c. Guenette has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

FY10 MCPO and SCPO lists

The other day I posted a link to the US Navy's FY10 CPO advancement results. Looking back, though, I realised that I hadn't seen the new MCPO and SCPO lists. So....

The MCPO list is here. I see three names I recognise - a TM weapons MM and two mechanics, all from Providence.

The SCPO list is here. I only see one on this list - a nuc ET, again from Prov.

Belated congratulations to all selectees!

Book-banning, new American style

ZUI this article, by Walter Olson, at City Journal:

It’s hard to believe, but true: under a law Congress passed last year aimed at regulating hazards in children’s products, the federal government has now advised that children’s books published before 1985 should not be considered safe and may in many cases be unlawful to sell or distribute. Merchants, thrift stores, and booksellers may be at risk if they sell older volumes, or even give them away, without first subjecting them to testing—at prohibitive expense. Many used-book sellers, consignment stores, Goodwill outlets, and the like have accordingly begun to refuse new donations of pre-1985 volumes, yank existing ones off their shelves, and in some cases discard them en masse.

The problem is the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), passed by Congress last summer after the panic over lead paint on toys from China. Among its other provisions, CPSIA imposed tough new limits on lead in any products intended for use by children aged 12 or under, and made those limits retroactive: that is, goods manufactured before the law passed cannot be sold on the used market (even in garage sales or on eBay) if they don’t conform. The law has hit thrift stores particularly hard, since many children’s products have long included lead-containing (if harmless) components: zippers, snaps, and clasps on garments and backpacks; skateboards, bicycles, and countless other products containing metal alloy; rhinestones and beads in decorations; and so forth. Combine this measure with a new ban (also retroactive) on playthings and child-care articles that contain plastic-softening chemicals known as phthalates, and suddenly tens of millions of commonly encountered children’s items have become unlawful to resell, presumably destined for landfills when their owners discard them. Penalties under the law are strict and can include $100,000 fines and prison time, regardless of whether any child is harmed.

*******

A further question is what to do about public libraries, which daily expose children under 12 to pre-1985 editions of Anne of Green Gables, Beatrix Potter, Baden-Powell’s scouting guides, and other deadly hazards. The blogger Design Loft carefully examines some of the costs of CPSIA-proofing pre-1985 library holdings; they are, not surprisingly, utterly prohibitive. The American Library Association spent months warning about the law’s implications, but its concerns fell on deaf ears in Congress (which, in this week’s stimulus bill, refused to consider an amendment by Republican senator Jim DeMint to reform CPSIA). The ALA now apparently intends to take the position that the law does not apply to libraries unless it hears otherwise. One can hardly blame it for this stance, but it’s far from clear that it will prevail. For one thing, the law bans the “distribution” of forbidden items, whether or not for profit. In addition, most libraries regularly raise money through book sales, and will now need to consider excluding older children’s titles from those sales. One CPSC commissioner, Thomas Moore, has already called for libraries to “sequester” some undefinedly large fraction of pre-1985 books until more is known about their risks.

This is a REALLY bad idea....

H/T to Tam.

Newbery Medal books

Back in March of '07, I finally (at the age of 52) took a close look at the complete list of winners of the John Newbery Medal, awarded each year since 1922 to the author of "the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year." At the time, there were 86 books on the list, and I discovered that I had only read seven of them - the newest of said seven being forty years old. So I started reading....

The winner is announced in January, so there are now 88 books on the list. A few days ago I finished reading The Grey King (the 1976 winner, by Susan Cooper), which brought my total up to 87. And there I was temporarily stuck, because none of the three libraries in our local library system holds a copy of the 88th book. I put in an ILL request last week, and waited to see if it would work.

And now I have, here on the table beside me, a copy of the 1940 winner - Daniel Boone, by James Daugherty. By the time I go to bed tonight, I expect to have finally finished reading all of the Newbery Medal books.

My thanks to the staff of the Beeghly Library, at Heidelberg College, Tiffin OH, whence this copy came!

Numbers

A little before 12:35 this afternoon, the time will be

1234:56 07/08/09

Which won't happen again in our lifetime....

FY10 CPO selectees

The list is out.

I recognised two names this time, an EM and a TM an MMW from Prov. My congratulations to them, and to all the other selectees.