4-H novels and children's books may not be well known in today's 4-H; however, starting in the 1920s... and, in every decade since then, new ones have appeared. Several dozen titles are documented and at one time Miss Gertrude Warren, from the 4-H USDA office, issued a listing of "approved" 4-H juvenile literature. While current research has not uncovered this listing, many of the titles are included in the 4-H novels segment of the 4-H books and printed archives section of the National 4-H History Preservation website.

Here is a short list of some of the titles:

4-H cowboy by Arthur Charles Bartlett (1938) 4-H Filly by Patsey Gray (1958) A clown like me by Thomas Crowell (1985) A Dog for Joey by Nan Gilbert (1967) Adventures in 4-H by Betty Baxter Anderson (1938) Call of the land: A novel of high adventure in 4-H club work by Harold Morrow Sherman (1948) Charlie ate my hat! by Ruth L Kirk & Degen L (2004) Chicken bucks by Susan Sharpe (1992) Come to the fair by Audree Distad (1977) Connie Dale 4-H leader by Ruby L Radford (1958) County agent by Virginia B McDonnell (1968) County fair: A 4-H romance by Anne Emery (1953) Cowboy Charley, 4-H champ by Chuck Martin (1953) Dynamo farm: A 4-H story by Adam Allen (1942) Farm in the family by M I Ross (1943) Hattie's holidays by Marie Frost (1994) Helping hands, caring hearts by Carol Larson & Carol Faber (2002) Hickory hill by Anne Emery (1955) Hustler, the farm dog by Arthur Charles Bartlett (1937) Imagine that! by Deborah Guillemette & Darren Whalen (2004) Inky: Seeing eye dog by Elizabeth P Heppner (1957) Jill's victory by Elisa Bialk (1952) Joey's ghost pumpkin by Fern Pascoe Dooley & Jack Woodson (1982) Johnny of the 4-H club by Alice-Alison Lide (1941) Josie and Joe by Ruth Gipson Plowhead (1938) Lucky four by Anne Colver (1960) Raising cane with Cammie by Elizabeth A McMahan (2001) Ray and Stevie on a corn belt farm by Liffring-Zug (1956) River's edge: A 4-H environmental science adventure by Gail Smith Chesson (1989) Royalty in the house by Charles Ferry (2002) Salome goes to the fair by Paul Witty & Anne Coomer (1953) Sandra Kendall of the 4-H: The career story of a young home demonstration agent by Ella Williams Porter (1942) Sausage patty by Diane Allevato & Trish Van den Bergh (1998) Skip by Aileen Fisher (1958) So dear to my heart by Sterling North (1947) Sweet sixteen by Anne Emery (1956) Sweet skunks and sneaky butter: A laugh-happy story of zany animals and 4-H kids by Wendell Knowles (1979) That blizzard cow by John H Bradshaw (1961) The eagle feather prize by Lyla Hoffine (1962) The hayburners by Gene Smith (1979) The plant that keeps on growing by Barbara Brenner & Melissa Sweet (1999) Under the 4-H flag by John F. Case & (1927)

If you have information about other titles or would like to donate a 4-H novel to the 4-H History Collection, please contact us at: Info@4-HHistory.com

Special appreciation goes to Dr. Jan Scholl, The Pennsylvania State University, for her research in this area.