Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 10, 2026

Swift Rivers

Swift Rivers is a children's historical novel by Cornelia Meigs. Set in 1835 Minnesota, orphan Chris Dahbert lives with his drunk and abusive uncle on the Goose Wing River. After his uncle kicks him out, Chris lives with his grandfather, Alexis, a man of simple means. To supplement his grandfather's meagre income, Chris and his friend Eric decide to float logs down to the Mississippi River to sell in St. Louis. The novel was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1933.

Last revised
Jul 10, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
138 w
Citations
2
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Swift Rivers
AuthorCornelia Meigs
IllustratorForrest W. Orr
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's literature
PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
Publication date1932
Publication placeUnited States

Swift Rivers is a children's historical novel by Cornelia Meigs. Set in 1835 Minnesota, orphan Chris Dahbert lives with his drunk and abusive uncle on the Goose Wing River. After his uncle kicks him out, Chris lives with his grandfather, Alexis, a man of simple means. To supplement his grandfather's meagre income, Chris and his friend Eric decide to float logs down to the Mississippi River to sell in St. Louis.1 The novel was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1933.2

References

References

  1. Gillespie, John T.; Naden, Corinne J., eds. (2006). The Newbery/Printz Companion: Book Talk and Related Materials (3rd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-313-6.
  2. "Association for Library Service to Children - Newbery Medal Winners & Honor Books, 1922 – Present" (PDF). ALA.org. Retrieved December 14, 2025.