author
Arthur Bowie Chrisman
1889–1953
Best known for the Newbery Medal–winning Shen of the Sea, this American writer brought lively retellings and a storyteller’s warmth to children’s literature. His work mixes humor, adventure, and a clear love of old tales passed from one voice to another.
1 Audiobook
Shen of the Sea: A Book for Children
by Arthur Bowie Chrisman
About the author
Born in Clarke County, Virginia, in 1889, Arthur Bowie Chrisman grew up with a rural upbringing and was educated first in a one-room school. He later attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute from 1906 to 1908, though he left before graduating.
Chrisman is remembered chiefly for Shen of the Sea: A Book for Children (1925), a collection of sixteen stories that won the 1926 Newbery Medal. The book helped make his name in American children's literature, and readers praised its energy, charm, and storytelling spirit.
He continued to write other books as well, including The Wind That Wouldn't Blow and Treasures Long Hidden. Arthur Bowie Chrisman died in 1953.