A couple months ago I wrote a post about my Newbery Challenge. I have been reading books that have been Newbery Medal or Honor winners.

Since I wrote the post I have read an additional 23 Newbery Medal winners and one Honor winner. As you can tell, I have been focusing on the Medal winners.

This week I read Shadow of the Bull by Maia Wojciechowska, which won the medal in 1965.

The book is about a young boy named Manolo who is getting ready to face a great challenge.

Manolo is the son of a great bull fighter. His father was killed by a bull when Manolo was only three, so he does not have memories of his father. However, the people of the village where he lives in Spain all expect him to follow in the footsteps of his father.

Manolo is terrified of having to face his first bull. He also does not have a love or aficion of bullfighting that is needed to be a great bull fighter.

However, he does practice with the cape and muleta so that he is ready to face his first bull.

As the time for his first bull approaches he becomes friends with another boy who does want to become a bull fighter. He also helps a doctor treat a bull fighter who had been gored and begins to think about becoming a doctor.

The first bull that he is to face was raised specifically for him and he is to face it at a Tienta, or testing of young bulls.

Manolo asks if his new friend can come with him to the Tienta. Before a large crowd Manolo faces the bull and finally confronts the shadow of his heritage.

I will not give the details, but in the end the two boys both are on the way to fulfilling their individual dreams.

The pictures above all come from previous posts that I have written about Portuguese-style Bullfights. These are Bloodless Bullfights and are popular among Portuguese immigrants to California.

Steven