The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day
Scott O'Dell, a native of California, is the author of over twenty books, most of them historical novels.  Born in 1901, O'Dell attended Occidental College, the University of Wisconsin, and Stanford University before working as a cameraman and technical director for various cinema productions.  In 1925, he studied at the University of Rome; then he returned to the West Coast to begin his life-long career in journalism.  In 1960, Scott O'Dell published his first children's novel.  It won seven awards, including the John Newbery Medal.  Three other books by O'Dell were runners-up for the Newbery Award.  He received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his overall contribution to children's literature.  Attention to historical detail and insight into human character give Scott O'Dell's fiction the tang of real life.