Character Traits Depicted in Newbery Medal Books from the 1920s Through the 2000s

Abstract

Readers readily identify with characters in literature; therefore, educators must be acutely aware of the overt and underlying messages conveyed in Newbery Medal books. In this quantitative content analysis with a qualitative component, the researchers employed nonparametric measurements to examine Newbery Medal books from the 1920s to the 2000s to quantify the frequency of positive Biblical and negative opposite character traits exhibited through the thoughts and actions of characters in Newbery Medal books as well as the emergent moral themes of each book. A new system of classification for Newbery Medal books has been proposed to provide the American Library Association with an alternative method by which Newbery Medal books categorized.

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Notes on contributors

KIMBERLY FLEMING

Kimberly Fleming earned an Ed.D. in teaching and learning from Liberty University. She has 8 years of teaching experience and serves as an Adjunct Professor at St. Petersburg College.

KAREN PARKER

Karen Parker is the Dean of the School of Education at Liberty University. She has 26 years of experience in teacher education and 16 years in K–12 classrooms.