Crushing on Miss Hickory

... that is, until she had her head eaten and, while it was being eaten, she "went right on thinking... aloud!!!" *

Miss Hickory

Carolyn Sherwin Baily

Newbery Medal 1947

Interesting book, at times a cute anthropomorphic nature/animal story, then a lesson on manners, with a Christmas mystery/miracle tossed in.  And through it all is sweet little Miss Hickory, a twig lady with a nut head, learning to live on her own one winter.  She's sassy, bossy, a touch grumpy, but cuts a fine figure in both fall and spring colors!  She meets a surprising and grisly end at the hands of a hungry squirrel, but lives on after joining her headless self to an apple tree... (yes, you read that right).  She is selfish and hard on her friends in the forest, but has a happy ending reincarnated (?) as an apple branch.

I liked it as a funny book, interesting to read in regards to the seasons changing or when studying apple trees?

*I'm quite sure this violates goes against my Violence Boycott!

connections: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Bubble