Introduction

Having done previous research on Anne Carroll Moore, I was hoping to view one of her published works in person for this book study. Thankfully, the Los Angeles Public Library's Central Branch owns several of her published works in their children's book collection including a 1924 edition of Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story (see Figure 1). They also hold copies of Nicholas and the Golden Goose and Moore's non-fiction book for children entitled My Roads to Childhood: View and Reviews of Children's Books. However, the physical attributes of the latter works were not as interesting as those of Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story.  Luckily, this book was available in a circulating copy so I was able to examine the book more in-depth at home.

Figure 1 

Anne Carroll Moore, a visionary in children's library services, was also publishing her own works for children during the progressive 1920s. In 1924, Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story was revered by children's librarians across the country and was also a Newberry Honor Book the following year. However, today it is considered by most modern reviewers to be a terrible work of fiction. Online reviews from readers and librarians alike describe this book as confusing, meaningless, and ephemeral (Goodreads.com). Having read the book myself, I disagree. I personally find Moore's characters charming and the story an enjoyable adventure. Regardless of personal tastes, Moore's books for children during this time were largely read and commercially successful suggesting a cultural importance.

This book study attempts to gain insight into the significance of Moore's 1924 work, Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story, by analyzing its historical context and physical characteristics, such as binding, collation, and printing.