Once upon a time, a man married his employer's widow and devoted the business to creating products for a certain small market segment. He is, in fact, credited with producing the very first example of such an item, and he might have hired a literary individual closely associated with a member of the English clergy to come up with something that has given its name to persons of irritating morality. Eventually, the man had a prestigious prize named after him. Who was he, what is the prize for, and what term for odiously virtuous people first appeared on one of his products?

toughynutter

john Newberry. Newberry Medal of Honor, Goody two-shoes "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." http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberymedal.htm " “We are also desired to give notice that there is in the Press, and speedily will be published either by subscription or otherwise, as the Public shall please to determine, The History of Little Goody Two Shoes, otherwise called Margery Two Shoes. Printed and sold at The Bible and Sun in St Paul’s Churchyard, where may be had all Mr Newbery’s little books for the children and youth of these kingdoms and the colonies. New Editions of those which were out of print are now republished." http://www.authorama.com/goody-two-shoes-1.html "Oliver Goldsmith ...(He is also thought to have written the classic children's tale, The History of Little Goody Two Shoes, giving the world that familiar phrase.)" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Goldsmith Mar 19 07, 10:00 PM

toughynutter

"Newbery has been credited with "inventing" children's literature. Born in Waltham St Lawrence His career started in the nearby Reading, Berkshire where in 1730 William Carnan, printer of the Reading Mercury, employed him. He later inherited part of Carnan's estate and married his widow. ...Newbery, it seems, both hired authors to write his books and wrote himself. Scholars have speculated that Oliver Goldsmith wrote one of Newbery's best-selling stories, The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Newbery Mar 19 07, 10:04 PM

lanfranco

Very nice, tn. A silver medal for you! The 2007 Newbery winner, Susan Patron's "The Higher Power of Lucky," has recently caused a great controversy. Librarians and others have tried to ban it owing to the appearance of a certain, non-obscene anatomical term on the first page. You can read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Higher_Power_of_Lucky Mar 20 07, 7:05 AM