This book was recognised by the Newbery Award. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

This book has been graded for interest at 8-12 years.

There are 64 pages in this book. This book was published 1986 by Simon & Schuster .

Kathryn Lasky was born in Indianapolis. She has two grown up children and now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her photographer husband Chris Knight.