Boy with a Pack
 | This article needs more citations. (July 2015) |
 First edition | |
| Illustrator | Stephen W. Meader |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Edward Shenton |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publication date | 1939 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 297 |
Boy with a Pack is a children's historical novel by Stephen W. Meader. Set in 1837, it follows the journey of 17-year-old trader Bill Crawford as he travels from New Hampshire to the Ohio Country. Carrying a trunkload of supplies on his back, he is soon joined by Jody, a dog he frees from a trap in Vermont. In New York, he works as a mule driver on the Erie Canal towing a boat. He meets Mary Ann Bennett on the boat; Mary is also traveling to Ohio to start a new life. In Ohio, Bill helps the Underground Railroad smuggle a young boy to freedom. Bill decides to settle down near a grist mill in need of workers.[1]
Reception
[edit]The book collected a Newbery Honor in 1940.[2] Anne T. Eaton's review in the New York Times called the book well-written and said it "presented an authentic and interesting picture of this country".[3]
References
[edit]- ↑ Gillespie, John T.; Naden, Corinne J., eds. (2006). The Newbery/Printz Companion: Book Talk and Related Materials (3rd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-313-6.
- ↑ "Association for Library Service to Children - Newbery Medal Winners & Honor Books, 1922 – Present" (PDF). ALA.org. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "The New Books for Younger Readers: Indian Tales". The New York Times. December 17, 1939. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
 | This article about a children's historical novel of the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |
- 1939 American novels
- 1939 English-language novels
- American children's novels
- Children's historical novels
- Newbery Honor–winning works
- Novels set in 1837
- Novels set in the 1830s
- 1939 children's books
- Children's books set in New Hampshire
- Children's books set in the 1830s
- Children's books set in Ohio
- 1930s children's novel stubs
- Children's historical novel stubs
- 1930s historical novel stubs