Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
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Posted by Sharon McKellar on February 26, 2009
I am sorry to report that this will be our last post here for awhile. We'll be back in the fall, as it gets closer to next year's Newbery, And if you're looking for other reading to do while you wait for fall, 
Posted by Nina Lindsay on February 23, 2009
Six Boxes of Books has a great Newbery Roundup up, sort of pre-empting the post of theirs I wanted to talk about: Sibert 2009. But I'll talk about it anyway. Wendy at Six Boxes says:"But does the existence of the Sibert just give us an excuse for continuing to leave non-fiction out of most Newbery discussions? Does it imply that non-fiction Newberys are an almost-lost cause and move on? "And then, much as I'd like to see more non-fiction among the Newberys NOW, I can't forget my childhood disappointment when Lincoln: A Photobiography and ...Read More
Posted by Nina Lindsay on February 19, 2009
 The Surrender Tree, this year's surprise in the Newbery Honor lineup, was just named an honoree for the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award as well. With the Pura Belpre Award also under it's belt, this makes you start to see how award committees can be on to something that passes the rest of us by (apparently nothing gets past Eva Perry Mock Newbery though...Read More
Posted by Sharon McKellar on February 17, 2009
American Libraries has given us a great little peek inside one of the most fun (I imagine) parts of being a member of a book selection committee; the calls to the winning authors!Check it out here! And only slightly off topic - but what did we all think of Coraline? I saw it over the weekend in 3D and it was perfect! Just beautiful and magical and creeeeepy.
Posted by Nina Lindsay on February 15, 2009
Look what happens when a flu rips through the Oakland Public Library, rendering its staff immobile for a week... SLJ continues its coverage of the Newbery, including something to pass as controversy. I keep on misnoming Roger's retort as "Put it Where You Put it," with an emphasis on the profane. I'm actually happy to see this controversy (which many try to use to bury the committee's decision on Criss-Cross) circle back round to The Graveyard Book...which is just too popular to be buried. (We put ...Read More
Posted by Nina Lindsay on February 5, 2009
I'd hoped to have a post for you by now of Surrender Tree, but I'm still only almost done. (My bus keeps coming on time!)You all know what Sharon and I think of After Tupac & Foster, The Underneath, and Savvy. What do you think? Here's a challenge: give us a one to two word explanation as to why they are "distinguished." As a reminder, ALSC defines "distinguished" as:
Posted by Sharon McKellar on February 3, 2009
Neil Gaiman pointed out, via a tweet, this comment on a New York Times blog post announcing the winners of the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and others.This book opens with a killer going from room-to-room, knifing a family — mother & father and a child — one-by-one while they sleep, but accidentally leaving a toddler to survive. This book is monstrous. Those who voted it the Newberry Winner are incomprehensible or worse. Let’s just hope it’s not made into a movie to terrify a wider audience.
Posted by Nina Lindsay on February 2, 2009
As I re-read the honor books for further comment, I've been enjoying the reports at a couple of new-to-me blogs:Peter Sieruta's Collecting Children's Books, where he reports that Only [His] Right Frontal Lobe Exploded upon hearing the announcements...and delves a little deeper into the Twitter controversy. Six Boxes of Books, by LaurieA-B and Wendy Burton (who was at our discussion in Oakland!). Start with their live-blogging Reactions as They Happen a...Read More
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 30, 2009
You may notice my photo has changed; a request I sent a couple of days ago in order to celebrate the new Newbery. The timing is perhaps awkward, but on reflection apt. Kathy Krasniewicz and Kate McClelland--two of my dearest colleagues in ALSC--are being fondly remembered all over the blogsophere. No less here, and with no less of the sense of humor and camaderie that these two women have provided among friends.
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 27, 2009
"Anonymous" doesn't much like my "huffy, snooty" "whining" about SLJs coverage of the Newbery in my last post. Which makes me remember the other thing that miffs me in that article:"Little did Gaiman know, but his tweet upon hearing the news has generated its own controversy. “F---!!!! I won the F---ING NEWBERY THIS IS SO F---ING AWESOME. I thank you” Gaiman wrote on his Twitter site, neilhimself. "News about the tweet traveled quickly ar...Read More
Posted by Sharon McKellar on January 27, 2009
Sorry I am a day behind adding photos. My usb cable was buried under a pile of ARCs, dirty clothes, and papers from meetings. But now that I'm all packed up and ready to go it has been uncovered and I was able to upload all my pictures.So, here's a morning in the life of a librarian attending the Youth Media Awards Press Conference.  Waiting for the room to open.  Nina and I are prepared to blog amidst the crowds.  A blurry shot of the winner being annou...Read More
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 26, 2009
The SLJ front page headline reads “Finally! The Newbery Goes to a Popular Book” *…but the medal-winning author, Neil Gaiman, seems to actually understand this award:“The Newbery is far and away probably the most important,” he says. “It means you are seen as being part of a group of books that are of quality and ensures survival over the years. You are part of some kind of strange literary canon, that maybe you’ve written a book that will outlive you.” The Graveyard Book was awarded the Newbery Medal because of its distinguished literary value. It’s certainly good news that it also is popular. I’m happy for the Newbery itself that this book may answer...Read More
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