''The Planet of Junior Brown'' is a 1971 young adult novel by

Virginia Hamilton Virginia Esther Hamilton (March 12, 1936 – February 19, 2002) was an American children's books author. She wrote 41 books, including '' M. C. Higgins, the Great'' (1974), for which she won the U.S. National Book Award in category Children's Bo ...

and illustrator

Jerry Pinkney Jerry Pinkney (December 22, 1939 – October 20, 2021) was an American illustrator and writer of children's literature. Pinkney illustrated over 100 books since 1964, including picture books, nonfiction titles and novels. Pinkney's works addresse ...

. It is about two boys, Junior Brown and Buddy, who with a school janitor, Mr. Pool, construct a mechanical solar system.

Reception

Barbara Bader reviewing ''The Planet of Junior Brown'' in ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' wrote "This is not a story to be judged on grounds of probability, but one which makes its own insistent reality; it endures along with its promise long after the story ends." and revisiting the book in ''

Horn Book ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

'' 40 years later noted that children were not borrowing the book from libraries but wrote "the human drama will prevail and Junior Brown will continue to find susceptible readers, here and there, to whom it will mean a great deal." ''The Planet of Junior Brown'' has also been reviewed by '' African American Review'', and Literature Arts Medicine Database.

Awards and nominations

1972–1973 Mark Twain Awards The Mark Twain Readers Award is given annually to a book for children in grades four through six. Winner *Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien Nominations *'' The King's Fountain'' by Lloyd Alexander *''Goody Hall'' by Natalie ...

- nomination *1971

fanfare book *1972 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award - winner *1972 Newbery Medal - honor

Adaptations

In 1997 a film of the same name, adapted from the novel was released.

References

{{Virginia Hamilton 1971 American novels Newbery Honor-winning works Picture books by Jerry Pinkney American young adult novels American novels adapted into films 1971 children's books Literature by African-American women