Ginger Pye (1951), a Newbery Medal-winning children's novel by American author and librarian Eleanor Estes, tells the story of the beloved dog of the title and her adventures with the Pye family. However, when Ginger disappears, the Pyes join forces to bring their sweet, goofy girl back home. Accompanied by Estes's illustrations, this heartwarming story is a celebration of family—and of the cherished canine companions often at the heart of it. In the town of Cranbury, Connecticut, in 1919, ten-year-old Jerry Pye and his nine-year-old sister, Rachel, wonder how their senior cat, Gracie, would react if they brought home a dog. The one thing Jerry wants most in the world is a dog, but he wouldn't want to upset Gracie, who doesn't seem to have much use for children—or for anyone, really. These are the thoughts going through his head as he and Rachel sit on the verandah of their house and read. Jerry also reflects on Papa and Mama's romance and their arrival in Connecticut many years ago, and how the neighborhood refers to Gracie as "the New York cat," because that is where she and Papa and Mama had originally come from. One day, Jerry's classmate, Sam Doody, informs Jerry that he needs to go into town to buy a suit, and he wants to know if Jerry would like to take over his job dusting off the pews in church, just for today. As luck would have it, Mrs. Speedy has a puppy Jerry wants to buy, but the pooch costs a dollar—an expense far beyond Jerry's means—and Sam will pay Jerry exactly one dollar to dust the pews. Therefore, he jumps at the chance to earn the cash, and, afterward, he goes to buy the little brown-and-white fox terrier from Mrs. Speedy. However, on the way home, danger lurks. Jerry and Rachel sense someone is following them. When they turn to look, all they see is a yellow hat receding into the distance. Jerry and Rachel name this mysterious figure the Unsavory Character. They arrive home, and Mama and Papa are just as charmed by the puppy as Jerry and Rachel. Even lazy, opinionated little Gracie comes to life, romping and playing with the puppy as if she were a kitten again. A few days go by, and the family is so overjoyed at the new arrival that they almost forget to give the puppy a name. After much consideration, they decide on the name Ginger. Rachel finds this exceedingly clever, as most people will think that Ginger is short for Gingerbread, when, in reality, it is short for Ginger Pye. Eventually, Ginger charms the entire town. After watching Jerry leave for school one morning, she grows curious about where he spends his days. She sets off on an adventure through Cranbury, successfully tracking Jerry down at school, much to the delight of his classmates. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, tragedy strikes. Ginger Pye disappears. Beside themselves with worry, Jerry and Rachel immediately start looking for Ginger. All the kids in the area come out to help them search. Jerry and Rachel suspect the Unsavory Character is the dog-napper, but they don't have much else to go on other than their hunch. As the days, then the months, pass, there is still no sign of Ginger until an unlikely hero comes to the rescue: Mama's three-year-old brother, Uncle Bennie. While out playing in the yard, he finds Ginger Pye after she escapes the yard of the nearby Bullwinkle family. With a little deductive reasoning, Jerry figures out that Wally Bullwinkle, the class bully, took Ginger and locked her up in his yard. Nevertheless, Jerry finds it hard to believe that someone he thought he knew could be so untrustworthy and underhanded. He and Rachel believed fervently that the Unsavory Character was the culprit behind Ginger's disappearance. However, it was someone they knew all along. Wally has a rough home life. His father mistreats him, and he doesn't have many friends at school. Jerry remembers that on the day Ginger paid a surprise visit to his classroom, her unannounced arrival thrilled everyone—except Wally; he had only eyed Ginger with envy. Though the kids learn some hard lessons, Ginger eventually reunites with Jerry, Rachel, Momma, Papa, and Gracie. As she comes running home, the Pyes see not a puppy but a full-grown dog barreling at them, and she has not forgotten who they are or the love they showed her. Ginger Pye is finally back where she belongs. Following the success of Ginger Pye, Estes published Pinky Pye in 1958. It chronicles the life and times of a black kitten adopted by the Pye family during their summer vacation on Fire Island. Like her canine big sister, Pinky has plenty of adventures that keep her family on their toes.

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Eleanor Estes

Middle grade

Novel

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Ginger Pye

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