The Apple and the Arrow

First edition

The Apple and the Arrow is a short children's novel written and illustrated by Mary and Conrad Buff, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1951. It retells the legend of William Tell from the viewpoint of his 12-year-old son Walter. It is set in 1291, during the political upheaval that led to the foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy.

The Buffs were one runner-up for the 1952 Newbery Medal from the American Library Association, recognizing the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". The Apple and the Arrow is called a Newbery Honor Book in retrospect and may display a silver seal.[1]

Publisher description

The year is 1291, and Walter is the twelve-year-old son of William Tell, the greatest bowman in the land of Uri. Walter lives happily in the remote heights of the Alpine Mountains, caring for his family's goat herd and practicing his marksmanship in the hopes of making his father proud. But as the end of the year approaches, Walter's peaceful life is shaken as his country enters a revolution, and Walter must carry a secret that could threaten the life of the father he loves so dearly.

More than seven hundred years have passed since the day Walter stood in the marketplace balancing an apple on his head while the Austrian tyrant Gessler commanded Walter's father, William Tell, to take aim at the apple with his great crossbow. The dramatic tale of William's arrest and escape and the daring revolt of the Swiss against the Austrians has become a legend around the world.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922–Present". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). American Library Association (ALA).
      "The John Newbery Medal". ALSC. ALA. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  2. ↑ Publisher description. "The Apple and the Arrow (9780618128099): Conrad Buff: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
  3. ↑ Mary and Conrad Buff (2001). The Apple and the Arrow. Newbery Honor Book. Houghton Mifflin. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-0-618-12807-5.


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