For the longest time, I’ve had a pretty sizeable collection of Newberry-winning books on my shelf that I’ve always wanted to read but have never taken the time for. As we near the end of our Year of Dahl, we’re looking for what’s next. It may not be 100 years of Newberry winners, but it certainly can be at least a handful of them.

Call It Courage is the 1941 winner and a book that I’m shocked I’d never read before! After all, it’s the story of a boy’s survival on a desert island, using his ingenuity and courage to survive. What better plot is there than that?

Mafatu’s fear of the mighty ocean that surrounds his Polynesian island and which killed his mother when he was just a child is well-founded, but it’s brought shame to his father. All the other boys about to achieve manhood call Mafatu a coward, and Mafatu has had enough of it. The night before the boys’ trials, he steals a canoe and, with his dog Uri beside him and his albatross Kivi above, he heads out into the ocean no knowing where he’s headed.

He ultimately lands on a mountainous island which, he soon discovers, is an island sacred for cannibalistic sacrifices, yet he survives here. He finds his water, captures his food, kills his monsters, faces his fears, and all the while builds his own canoe that will take him safely home.

In just 5 short chapters (beautifully illustrated by the author), Mafatu turns from child to man, from coward to hero, the subject of Polynesian myths and legends for generations thereafter. This book contains some intense scenes, most notably the final chapter and his race from cannibals home, and my kids (10 and 11) loved it. In fact, halfway through, my son noted how much it was like Hatchet, a boy surviving the elements with his wits and a single tool (whereas Brian had his hatchet, Mafatu has the cannibal’s spearhead).

Call It Courage teaches an important point, that self-confidence is earned, not something a boy just gets as a right. Mafatu’s fear and shame were real, and he had reason to wallow in them. The ocean had, after all, killed his mother. Yet he made the conscious choice to fight against that fear and against that shame of cowardice (both his own shame and his father’s) by facing them head-on.

Children can learn from this book that they needn’t maintain whatever negative stigma they’ve carried since birth, but inaction and “a positive mental attitude” are most certainly not the solution. Instead, they can, like Mafatu, face their fears through action and earn respect, not merely demand it. It’s a surprisingly accurate message that screams throughout the book, yet which I’m sure many modern teachers downplay. Mafatu might have been born a victim, but he chose not to stay that way. Goodness, what a refreshing truth!

I’m not yet sure if my kids will want to continue this venture through the Newberry winners of yesteryear, but I’m excited to find other gems like this that I’ve ignored for too long. What’s next on our list? Only time will tell.

©2023 E.T.