“Crosswire” Awarded 2010 Naylor Book Award

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library Committee is pleased to announce that the 2010 June Franklin Naylor Award for the Best Book for Children on Texas History is awarded to Dotti Enderle for her book Crosswire, published in 2010 by Calkins Creek Books of Pennsylvania.

The announcement was made Friday evening, May 13, 2011, by Mrs. Elaine Milam Vetter, Chairman of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library Committee, at the 120th Annual Convention of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

From left to right, 2009-2011 DRT Library Committee Chairman Elaine Milam Vetter, Crosswire author Dotti Enderle, and DRT Library Director Leslie Stapleton.

A three-member panel of judges comprised of historians, educators, and librarians evaluated the Naylor Award entries. The 2010 committee included chairman Dr. Barbara Immroth, professor in the School of Information, the University of Texas at Austin, and committee members Dr. Viki Ash, Coordinator of Children’s Services, San Antonio Public Library, and Professor Amy Carter, English Department Instructional Facilitator, Floresville High School, Floresville, Texas.

The committee noted that native Texan Dotti Enderle has crafted a suspenseful coming-of-age story set in rural Texas in 1883. Thirteen-year-old Jesse Wade tells a story of personal struggle, family tension, and drought-induced fence cutting. Enderle’s cast of well-developed characters includes a tyrannical father, a rebellious older brother, and an undercover Texas Ranger. Tight plotting and historical detail add to the books’ appeal.

The June Franklin Naylor Award for the Best Book for Children on Texas History, endowed by the family of June Franklin Naylor and sponsored by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, is given annually to the author/illustrator of the most distinguished fiction or nonfiction book for children and young adults, grades K-12, that accurately portrays the history of Texas. Mrs. Naylor, for whom the award is named, was a former schoolteacher and long-time resident of Odessa. She served as President General of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas from 1989 to 1991.

Please see the DRT Library’s website for additional information about the June Franklin Naylor Award, including guidelines for the 2011 award.

“The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” Awarded 2009 Law Book Award

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library Committee is pleased to announce that the 2009 Virginia M. Law Award for the Most Distinguished Book for Young Adults on Texas History is awarded to Jacqueline Kelly for her book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, published in 2009 by Henry Holt and Company, New York.

The announcement was made Friday, May 14, 2010, by Mrs. Elaine Milam Vetter, Chairman of the DRT Library Committee, at the 119th Annual Convention of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Each year, a three-member panel of judges comprised of historians, educators, and librarians evaluates the Law Award entries. The 2009 committee included chairman Dr. Barbara Immroth, professor in the School of Information, University of Texas at Austin, and committee members Dr. Viki Ash, Coordinator of Children’s Services, San Antonio Public Library, and Mrs. Amy Carter, English Department Instructional Facilitator, Floresville High School, Floresville, Texas.

In the book, eleven-year-old Calpurnia Tate has an innate talent as a naturalist that is recognized and nurtured by her brusque Granddaddy. On the family plantation in Caldwell County in 1899, Callie’s mother insists on ladylike behavior, piano lessons, and housekeeping skills; however, Grandaddy and Callie have other plans. The committee noted that Kelly’s carefully detailed text explores the Tate family’s lively, but structured, family life, the reserved warmth of an inter-generational relationship, and the evolutionary nature of scientific investigation.

The Virginia M. Law Award for the Most Distinguished Book for Young Adults on Texas History, endowed by Mrs. Law’s daughter, Nancy Law, and sponsored by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, is given annually to the author/illustrator of the most distinguished fiction or nonfiction book for young adults, grades 7-12, that accurately portrays the history of Texas. Mrs. Law, for whom the award is named, was an active member of the Alamo Mission Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas; an enthusiastic supporter of the purposes and efforts of the DRT; and a strong proponent of education.

“The Crimson Cap” Awarded 2009 Naylor Book Award

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library Committee is pleased to announce that the 2009 June Franklin Naylor Award for the Best Book for Children on Texas History is awarded to Ellen Howard for her book The Crimson Cap, published in 2009 by the Holiday House, New York.

The announcement was made Friday, May 14, 2010, by Mrs. Elaine Milam Vetter, Chairman of the DRT Library Committee, at the 119th Annual Convention of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Each year, a three-member panel of judges comprised of historians, educators, and librarians evaluates the Naylor Award entries. The 2009 committee included chairman Dr. Barbara Immroth, professor in the School of Information, University of Texas at Austin, and committee members Dr. Viki Ash, Coordinator of Children’s Services, San Antonio Public Library, and Mrs. Amy Carter, English Department Instructional Facilitator, Floresville High School, Floresville, Texas.

The committee noted that Ms. Howard weaves a compelling tale around the historical figure Pierre Talon. The young boy is only ten years old in 1687 when he leaves explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle’s doomed settlement on Matagorda Bay in search of aid from the settlers of New France. Braving illness and intrigue, Pierre also struggles with inner conflicts, including questions of personal safety, family solidarity, and ultimate justice. Howard skillfully portrays Pierre’s hardships, friendships, and personal struggles in a story that is sensitive to cultural diversity and historical nuance.

The June Franklin Naylor Award for the Best Book for Children on Texas History, endowed by the family of June Franklin Naylor and sponsored by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, is given annually to the author/illustrator of the most distinguished fiction or nonfiction book for children and young adults, grades K-12, that accurately portrays the history of Texas. Mrs. Naylor, for whom the award is named, was a former schoolteacher and long-time resident of Odessa. She served as President General of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas from 1989 to 1991.

For Further Reading

You can read Voyage to the Mississippi Through the Gulf of Mexico, 1687, the English translation of a 1698 interrogation of Pierre Talon and his brother Jean-Baptiste, through the Wisconsin Historical Society’s American Journeys website.

Hemphill Wins the 2008 Virginia M. Law Award

Helen Hemphill (left), winner of the 2008 Virginia M. Law Award, with Connie Impelman, DRT Library Committee Chairman.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library Committee is pleased to announce that the 2008 Virginia M. Law Award for the most distinguished book for young adults on Texas history is awarded to author Helen Hemphill for The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones, published in 2008 by Front Street, Inc., in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The announcement was made Friday evening, May 15, by Connie Impelman, Chairman of the DRT Library Committee, at the 118th Annual Convention of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in Killeen, Texas.

A three-member panel of judges comprised of historians, educators, and librarians judge the entries. The 2008 committee included its chairman Dr. Barbara Immroth, professor in the School of Information, the University of Texas at Austin, and committee members Dr. Viki Ash, Coordinator of Children’s Services at San Antonio Public Library, and Linda Plevak, Adjunct Librarian at Northeast Lakeview College in Universal City, Texas.

Inspired by the 1907 autobiography of real African American cowboy Nat Love, The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones tells the story of thirteen-year-old Tennessee native Prometheus Jones. Prometheus wins a horse with a raffle ticket he earned by breaking Colonel Dill’s filly. When Dill’s sons, Pernie Boyd and LaRue, try to cheat him out of the prize horse, Prometheus sets off for Texas with his eleven-year-old cousin, Omar. The African American boys find work with a Texas cattle drive heading to Deadwood in the Dakota Territory and encounter thundering stampedes, raging rivers, and friendly and hostile Indians. While learning cowboy ways, Omar dreams of striking it rich in Deadwood and Prometheus longs to meet his father, purported to live in Texas.

The lively dialogue and authentic characters make this an appealing adventure story for middle school readers. Creative teachers of Texas history will find this a compelling read aloud.

The Virginia M. Law Award for the Most Distinguished Book for Young Adults on Texas History is endowed by Mrs. Law’s daughter, Nancy M. Law, and sponsored by the DRT Library. It is given annually to the author/illustrator of the most distinguished book for young adults, grades 7-12, that accurately portrays the history of Texas, whether fiction or nonfiction.

Mrs. Law, for whom the award is named, was an active member of the Alamo Mission Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas; an enthusiastic supporter of the purposes and efforts of the DRT; and a strong proponent of education.

Please see the DRT Library’s website for information about past winners of the Law Award.

Fern and Castillo Win the 2008 June Franklin Naylor Award

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library Committee is pleased to announce that the 2008 June Franklin Naylor Award for the Best Book for Children on Texas history is awarded to author Tracey E. Fern and illustrator Lauren Castillo for Buffalo Music, published in 2008 by Clarion Books in New York. The announcement was made Friday evening, May 15, by Connie Impelman, Chairman of the DRT Library Committee, at the 118th Annual Convention of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in Killeen, Texas.

A three-member panel of judges comprised of historians, educators, and librarians judge the entries. The 2008 committee included its chairman Dr. Barbara Immroth, professor in the School of Information, the University of Texas at Austin, and committee members Dr. Viki Ash, Coordinator of Children’s Services at San Antonio Public Library, and Linda Plevak, Adjunct Librarian at Northeast Lakeview College in Universal City, Texas.

Buffalo Music was inspired by real people and events of Texas history, namely Mary Ann Goodnight and her husband, Charles (who laid a route that would become the Goodnight-Loving Trail). When they settled in the Palo Duro Canyon in 1876, the “music of the buffalo” was the background score of their lives. However, buffalo hunters quickly decimated the herds, much to Mary Ann’s dismay.

Mary Ann’s story is told through the character of Miss Molly, and Fern’s work highlights her efforts to save the American Bison. Although she began with only two orphaned buffalo calves, Miss Molly’s conservation efforts ultimately assisted in the repopulation of buffalo in Yellowstone National Park.

The Naylor Award Committee notes that the book should appeal not only to children interested in the rich anecdotes that comprise Texas history but also those young readers with interests in nature and endangered species.

The June Franklin Naylor Award for the Best Book for Children on Texas History, endowed by the family of June Franklin Naylor and sponsored by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, is given annually to the author/illustrator of the most distinguished book for children and young adults, grades K-12, that accurately portrays the history of Texas, whether fiction or nonfiction. Mrs. Naylor, for whom the award is named, was a former schoolteacher and a long-time resident of Odessa, and she served as President General of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Inc., from 1989 to 1991.

Please see the DRT Library’s website for information about past winners of the Naylor Award.