Miss Minerva and William Green Hill (Tennesseana Editions) [Facsimile] [Hardcover]

Frances Boyd Calhoun (Author), Angus Macdonall (Illustrator), Robert Drake (Designer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1986 | Series: Tennesseana Editions

Short excerpt: When she again looked in on him he was fast asleep a rosy flush on his babyish tearstained cheek his red lips half parted his curly head pillowed on his arm and close against his soft young throat there nestled the left hind foot of a rabbit.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: University of Tennessee Press; Facsimile edition (March 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870491822
• ISBN-13: 978-0870491825
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Southern Humor, Wit, and Charm At It's Best, January 17, 2000

By 

Ginger Boswell (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Minerva and William Green Hill (Tennesseana Editions) (Hardcover)

My North Carolina grandmother, born in 1888, read the 12 Miss Minerva series books to me when I was a young child in the 50's. She brought the antics of William Green Hill, Jimmy Garner, Frances, Lina, Wilkes Booth Lincoln, Aunt Cindy, Pilljerk Peter, Aunt Peruny Pearline to life, and I can still hear the words ringing in my ears as she read this book in the dialect of the southern Negro. Some feel that these aren't politically correct books for today's youth, but I feel that there are some innocent truths to be learned from reading these books, that come from the mouths of the children in them. They show how easily children of all races get along when the prejudices of their elders aren't present. The real life character upon which these books are based is William Green Hill who died at 64, the son of a prominent Tennessee physician Dr. Lafayette Hill. His sister, Mrs. S. A. Hamilton had not seen her brother in 15 years when he died of a heart attack alone and penniless in an empty railroad coal car on the outskirts of Pueblo, Colorado. My grandmother clipped the small article from the newspaper about Mr. Hill, which I have kept in my copy of the first of the books which were written about his life. The first book, Miss Minerva and William Green Hill, was originally written by Frances Boyd Calhoun who died, and was continued by Emma Speed Sampson, who wrote the sequel Billy and the Major, Miss Minerva's Baby, Miss Minerva on the Old Plantation, Miss Minerva Broadcasts Billy, Miss Minerva's Scallywags, Miss Minerva's Problem, Miss Minerva's Vacation, Miss Minerva's Neighbors, Miss Minerva's Mystery, Miss Minerva Goin' Places, and one other title. There also is a book named Miss Minerva's Cookbook which was so rare that a copy of this book is going for $1,000 at rare out of print used book stores. I certainly love to see that the University of Tennessee has brought back the first of this series, and I would love to see them bring back to print the rest of the series for a new generation of children to enjoy and understand the happiness and delicate, intricate balance that exists in childhood play between children of all races.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Miss Minerva" series was one of my favorites as a child, May 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Miss Minerva and William Green Hill (Tennesseana Editions) (Hardcover)

I read all 9 books in this series and enjoyed the humor of Billy's exploits with his Aunt Minerva and the neighborhood children. The children of this era made their own entertainment, played "pretend" and spent a lot of time outdoors-life was rather pastoral. However, Billy managed to keep everyone hopping. I'd describe the book as an early "Little Rascals" of the South. Well written, humorous and filled with the innocence of the era. Billy and his friends seem to have to learn everything the hard way!! Historically, it occurs in an era of segregation; however, it also demonstrates that children accept each other far more easily than adults do.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "DITTO" Cheers for the University Of Tennessee from S.C., February 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Miss Minerva and William Green Hill (Tennesseana Editions) (Hardcover)

I loved this book (and the sequels) when I was a child. Have been looking for copies for years. I was pleased to finally find Miss Minerva & William Green Hill on Amazon. Hope the University of Tennessee will consider printing the others.