Harriette Gillem Robinet, Ph.D.
One hundred and fifty alumni and friends of Catholic University gathered in the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center on Oct. 13 for the university's Cardinal Celebration alumni awards banquet. Following a candlelight dinner, Andrea Roane, co-anchor of Washington, D.C.'s Channel 9 News and a CUA trustee, served as the master of ceremonies. She paid tribute to six alumni whom the university honored that night - five received the Alumni Achievement Award and one was named Young Alumni Merit Award recipient. Among those selected in 2006 was children's author Harriette Gillem Robinet.
Some people are right-brained; others are left-brained. Harriette Gillem Robinet is what you might call ambi-brained.
"I'm a scientist writing fiction!" exclaims Robinet.
How does a woman go from earning two advanced degrees in microbiology and pursuing a 10-year career in bacteriology to writing a dozen children's books and garnering several major literary awards? Listening to Robinet tell the story, it's not as far-fetched as it sounds.
"Other children's writers use emotion in their stories, but I use specific facts, and I suppose that's the scientist in me," says the author, whose books have earned her the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the Carl Sandburg Award and the Friends of American Writers Award. "For instance, I don't write about trees. I write about maples. I write about oaks."
She launched her career as a bacteriologist with Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, the future writer entered CUA to pursue both her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in microbiology - all while working as a full-time microbiologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Upon graduating, she moved to the Chicago area with her husband and worked as a food and dairy bacteriologist with the Army Quartermaster Corps. But when she began having kids three years later, her focus shifted.
"I wanted to be with my children," says Robinet, a D.C. native whose grandfather had been a slave owned by Robert E. Lee. So the microbiologist left her job and spent her days reading children's books to her kids and writing science articles for women's magazines. When young son Jonathan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and Robinet discovered there were no children's books written on that subject, she felt called to action. Shortly thereafter she published two picture books, both about children with disabilities.
As Robinet was writing her children's books - most of which fall under the historical fiction classification - she always believed she would return to the lab one day. "I thought, 'I got my degrees for this!' " she recalls. But the responsibility of rearing six children and the rapidly changing field of science eventually prompted her to focus solely on writing.
Robinet speaks fondly of her "wonderful feelings" at CUA, the tranquility of watching the basilica being constructed and the bond she formed with the few other black students enrolled during her time on campus.
"We formed a brotherhood, a sisterhood, a personhood!" she exclaims.
Describing the way CUA contributed to her success, she says, "Catholic University called for excellence and nothing lower, and I really appreciated and enjoyed measuring up to that. If you got your degree from Catholic U., you just felt good about it."
Contributor: John H. Tucker
For further information about Harriet Gillem Robinet, click here.
Reviews
Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule
Harriette Gillem Robinet
It's April 1865. The Civil War has ended and the slaves are free. Or are they? Many are still bound by fear of their former violent masters and they continue to work the plantations, unpaid and ill treated. Pascal doesn't even know he's free until his older brother Gideon returns for him. With Pascal's young friend Nelly, they set off to claim the "forty acres and maybe a mule" that Gideon has heard they are promised. Along the way, they gain the company of an older gentleman, who has taken the name Mr. Freeman, and his granddaughter, Gladness. The 'family' does manage to gain its forty acres and to farm it successfully, but racism remains a powerful force. Robinet's Author's Note provides a framework for further discussion about Reconstruction, and her brief bibliography will be a good source for readers who want to know more. 1998, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, $16.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2000; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Third Edition, 2001; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000; H.W. Wilson; United States
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 1999; National Council for the Social Studies NCSS; United States
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002; California Department of Education; California
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction Winner 1999 United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Sasquatch Reading Award, 2001; Nominee; United States
South Carolina Book Awards, 2001; Nominee; Children's Book; South Carolina
ISBN: 0-689-82078-X
Missing from Haymarket Square
Harriette Gillem Robinet
Twelve-year-old Dinah is responsible for everyone--her bitter disabled mother, her jailed father, her siblings, and, on occasion, neighborhood immigrants. Going against her conscience, she "humbugs" (steals) to feed them. She also plots to free her father who has been arrested for supporting an eight-hour workday. This novel will give readers a dramatic historical look at Chicago's labor conditions, especially for Negroes and immigrants, in the late 1800s. Often, however, the prose is heavy-handed, making Dinah too adult and more melodramatic than sympathetic. One also wonders how she has the time, energy and unlikely good luck to accomplish so much while working the twelve-hour day required of children her age. There are moments of comic relief amid the struggle, but the occasional giggling and joke-telling often seem forced and out of place. Despite the uneven writing, readers will appreciate this eye-opening account of the events surrounding the Haymarket Square Riot, a significant incident in America's labor history, and the tragic way that it particularly affected children. 2001, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, $16.00. Ages 9 to 13. Reviewer: Betty Hicks (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Smithsonian Magazine's Notable Books for Children, 2001; Smithsonian; United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Lamplighter Award, 2004; Nominee; United States
ISBN: 0-689-83895-6
Twelve Travelers, Twenty Horses
Harriette Gillem Robinet
Jacob Israel Christmas, a thirteen-year-old slave boy, is relieved when he is sold in a lot of ten slaves, together with his mother and his friends, pretty Chloe and "slow" Solomon. But he is perplexed by his new master, "Honorable Mister Clarence Higgenboom," who seems clueless about how most masters treat slaves (Honorable Mister addresses his slaves respectfully as "men and women of labor"), or how to outfit an expedition heading west to California at the worst possible time of the year. Moreover, Jacob discovers that Honorable Mister has plans to rob a stagecoach full of wages for the Pony Express--plans which Jacob intends to foil. Jacob makes a lively, likable narrator, and Honorable Mister is a fascinating character--boastful of his wealth, underhanded in his dealings with others, yet willing to treat his slaves as fellow human beings. The urgent need to help the Pony Express rush the news of Lincoln's election to California in order to save California for the Union was somewhat unclear: if California was already teetering on the brink of secession, why would news of Lincoln's election incline it to stay in the Union, when the same news drove the South to leave? But Robinet offers up an intriguing mix of complex characters and adventurous action in a story that will also sensitize readers to the terrible vulnerabilities of black Americans, whose freedom papers could be torn to bits at any moment by a white man's whim. 2003, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, $16.95. Ages 9 to 14. Reviewer: Claudia Mills, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Land of Enchantment Book Award, 2006-2007; Nominee; Young Adult; United States
ISBN: 0-689-84561-8
The Twins, the Pirates, and the Battle of New Orleans
Harriette Gillem Robinet
Pierre and Andrew are twin brothers hiding in the bayous outside New Orleans after escaping from their slave master. There is a price on their heads, but they are still determined to effect the release of their mother and little sister. In a complicated series of negotiations between General Andrew Jackson, pirate Jean Lafitte, and a local priest, they trade a treasure in jewels to be reunited with their family. 1997, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, $15.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Third Edition, 2001; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Society of Midland Authors Book Awards Winner 1998 Children's Fiction United States
ISBN: 0-689-81208-6
Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues
Harriette Gillem Robinet
This novel recounts the turbulent events of the late 1950s that sparked the American civil rights movement. In Montgomery, Alabama, things haven't been the same since Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person. The black community, and some white folks, have been boycotting bus rides ever since. This places a hardship on Alfa, who at twelve years of age helps to support his family by working at a grocery store. But Alfa understands that the community must stand together if they are to overthrow the System, a system that casually treats African-Americans as something less than human. Alfa has other problems, too. His main worry is coming up with the rent money each month, but he is also concerned about Big Mama, his great grandmother and guardian. Even though she is very old and sometimes loses her way, Big Mama refuses to ride the bus. And when money is missing from a wealthy white man's house that Alfa and his family cleaned, suspicion falls on Alfa and his family. In the midst of this turmoil, a young clergyman named Martin Luther King gives rousing speeches that bolster the movement's resolve. And at the end of this finely layered novel, the ray of hope that means equality for all mankind shines a little brighter. 2000, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, $16.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Christopher Moning (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K-Grade 6 13th Edition, 2002; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, May 15, 2000; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States
Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Edgar Allan Poe Awards Nominee 2001 Best Juvenile Novel United States
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor Book 2001 Longer Book United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Arizona Young Readers' Award, 2005; Nominee; Intermediate Books; Arizona
Georgia Children's Book Award, 2003-2004; Nominee; Georgia
Nutmeg Children's Book Award, 2004; Nominee; Connecticut
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, 2003; Nominee; Illinois
Rhode Island Children's Book Award, 2003; Nominee; Rhode Island
Texas Bluebonnet Award, 2003-2004; Nominee; Texas
Virginia State Young Readers' Award, 2003; Nominee; Middle School Level, Grades 6-9; Virginia
William Allen White Children's Book Award, 2002-2003; Nominee; Grades 3 - 5; Kansas
ISBN: 0-689-83191-9
Washington City Is Burning
Harriette Gillem Robinet
The burning of Washington during the War of 1812 is narrated by the fictional Virginia, a young slave recently arrived at the White House from Montpelier, James Madison's Virginia plantation. Author Robinet, descended from Montpelier slaves, describes behind the scenes doings at the White House. She also invents a conspiracy of slaves operating a sort of early Underground Railroad from the White House. The end result is a fantasy scenario of history rather than the real McCoy. 1996, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, $16.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Third Edition, 2001; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000; H.W. Wilson; United States
Young Adults' Choices, 1998; International Reading Association; United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Lamplighter Award, 1998-1999; Nominee; Grades 6-8; United States
ISBN: 0-689-80773-2
Added 01/30/07
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