On My Honor
1986 novel by Marion Dane Bauer
On My Honor is a novel by Marion Dane Bauer, first published in 1986. In 1987, it was a Newbery Honor Book and it won the William Allen White Children's Book Award in 1989. On My Honor has been used in the United States as part of school curriculums and has a separate study guide authored by Gail D. Hanna.
Plot summary
Soon to start seventh grade, Joel and Tony have been close friends for years. They head out on a bicycle adventure to Starved Rock Bluffs. Joel is surprised that his protective father even permits him to go. "On my honor," he tells his dad during his promise that he'll only bike to the park and nowhere else.
Tony has a different idea, though—a reckless one—to ford the dangerous Vermilion River in order to stand on its sandbar. They argue, but Joel reluctantly agrees and reaches the sandbar first. When Tony never appears, Joel realizes Tony has drowned in the rough current.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “On My Honor” as 1986 novel by Marion Dane Bauer. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as 1986 novel by Marion Dane Bauer. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7091057. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1986, 1987 and 1989.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “On My Honor”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow On My Honor primary sources, On My Honor archive and Honor research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “On My Honor”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “On My Honor” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.