M. C. Higgins, the Great
 Cover of 25th anniversary edition | |
| Author | Virginia Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Leo and Diane Dillon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Simon Pulse |
Publication date | 1974 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | 278 pp |
| ISBN | 0-241-89214-7 |
| OCLC | 312852502 |
| LC Class | PZ7.H1828 Mac |
M. C. Higgins, the Great (1974) is a realistic novel by Virginia Hamilton that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1975. It also won the National Book Award in category Children's Books[1] and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; it was the first book to do so, and only one other book has done so since (Holes, by Louis Sachar).
M.C. Higgins is a coming-of-age novel; it covers three eventful days in the life of teenager Mayo Cornelius Higgins. Its setting is in the Appalachian mountains on Sarah's Mountain, a fictional mountain in Kentucky near the Ohio River that is being encroached upon by a mining company. The book highlights the strange, almost surreal customs of the hill people, including their traditions of song and superstition. At its core is the reconciliation M.C. must make between tradition and change.
It has been translated into many languages, including Japanese and German, and was made into a movie in 1987.
References
- ↑ "National Book Awards – 1975" Archived 2011-09-09 at the Wayback Machine.. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Slave Dancer |
Newbery Medal recipient 1975 |
Succeeded by The Grey King |