Did You Carry the Flag Today, Charlie?

Did You Carry the Flag Today, Charley?
Rebecca Caudill

Carrying the flag is an award for a child at the Little School who has been very good. When Charley Cornett starts school, his brothers and sisters explain to him that such a high honor is a privilege and goes to someone who has been the most helpful. This has been a tradition at this school in the Appalachian Mountains. Charley happens to be a very curious boy who gets into mischief. Growing up in the mountains has been the perfect place for him to love rocks, snakes, tree-climbing, and exploring. Certainly he is not expected to ever be the one who carries the flag! Yet, one day, Charley ends up with the award in a surprising way. And Charley learns something big that day too.

Rebecca Caudill grew up in Kentucky and many of her books are rich in pioneer history and/or the Appalachian Mountain setting. Tree of Freedom was a Newbery Honor book in 1959 and A Pocketful of Cricket, illustrated by Evaline Ness won the Caldecott Medal in 1964. The latter has beautiful poetic prose. Another popular book (among many!) is The Best Loved Doll. In honor of her contributions to children's literature the town of Cumberland, Kentucky dedicated a public library in her name, and the state of Illinois created the annual Rebecca Caudill Award for the favorite children's book of the year.

It is well worth the time to explore the website that hosts the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader Book Award.

http://www.rcyrba.org/

Children from Illinois vote for their favorite book of the year from a list of twenty titles. The choices over the past 25 years provide a wonderful list of quality reading for young readers. I loved this quote by the author found on this site: 

“The first essential in any book is that it have something significant to say --a book that leaves the reader with bigger ideas than when he began reading - that stimulates his thinking, stretches his mind, deepens his feelings. A good book sticks to your ribs.”  Rebecca Caudill In her intentions for the role of children's literature in the lives of children, she is an author after our own hearts!