Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
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Posted by Jonathan Hunt on January 30, 2010
REBECCA STEAD REDUX 
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 28, 2010
Monica and I both recall reading Rebecca Stead's Newbery Committee together. My impression was that it w...Read More
Posted by Jonathan Hunt on January 27, 2010
I had hoped to be able to comment on THE MOSTLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF HOMER P. FIGG, but I have been unable to retrieve my copy from the student, and my hold at the public library has not become available yet, so my commentary on that book will have to wait.Historical fiction, as many of you already know, seems overrepresented in the Newbery canon--with CALPURNIA and HOMER being the latest additions--especially since the genre is reportedly not very popular with students. I think those rankings of reading preferences can be misleading, however, because historical fiction often has other elements that draw students. For example, readers of BUD, NOT BUDDY probably identify the book as a funny book rather than a historical one. While I personally thought A SEASON OF GIFTS was the most distinguished historical fiction of the year, I...Read More
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 25, 2010
"I have another picture book for your consideration--one with a longer, more independent text..."
Posted by Jonathan Hunt on January 23, 2010
Nina and I will be posting through the end of January--just one more week--before Heavy Medal goes on hiatus for the spring and summer.INSTANT REPLAY If you missed the ALA webcast of the announcements then you can still view it. You can also catch the winners on the Today Show if you missed that, too. And be sure to read about how Rebecca Stead, Jerry Pinkney, and Grace Lin responded to their Monday morning phone calls. Finally, if your pet book got robbed and didn't make the grade for an ALA award or list, then bookseller extraordinaire Elizabeth Bluemle is working on a ...Read More
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 21, 2010
Many of you who followed the Almost Astronauts kerfuffle in all its permutations here may have been surprised to see it swipe the Sibert. Jonathan remarks:I could have seen a dozen books winning outright which is why I refused to make a prediction here. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS has taken a beating on this blog in recent weeks, so this is something of a surprise. I also predicted a mix of picture books and longer books. I do miss MARCHING FOR FREEDOM, TRUCE, and THE GREAT AND ON...Read More
Posted by Jonathan Hunt on January 20, 2010
ARBUTHNOTSo many possibilities. Who would you want to hear? I think the appeal of an author or illustrator is really sexy, but oftentimes I think the editors give even better speeches, and librarians . . . If K.T. Horning's speech was anything like her CLNE lectures! It seems obligatory that if you've won two Newbery Medals then you give the Arbuthnot so it's somewhat surprising that Lois Lowry has not been selected before. But what's this? Katherine Paterson has given the lecture, but not E.L. Konigsburg--and she's a great speaker! Oh, wow. There's my Arbuthnot prediction for next year! Anyway, Lowry is a great choice. What are the odds we can get her to come to *ahem* Modesto? ALEX AWARDS ...Read More
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 19, 2010
I'm always pleased to see good New York Times coverage of the awards. I was up at 6:30 this morning to read: Very New York Novel Wins Newbery Medal. Motoko Rich's article focusses mostly on Rebecca Stead, with a a nice secondary piece on Jerry Pinkney, and couple of mentions of other awards. I do have a kneejerk reaction that is not always appropriate about the NewYorkCentricism of New Yorkers. Here, I had to admit to myself that Rich's is a perfectly fine spin on the Newbery for the New York Times. However, it just struck the wrong tone with me because the bigger news to me is that Jerry Pinkney is the first individual African-American to ge...Read More
Posted by Jonathan Hunt on January 18, 2010
Newbery
Posted by Nina Lindsay on January 17, 2010
You can get a great sense of the ALA Midwinter bustle from Monica Edinger or Betsy Bird. I'm sitting this one out, and spending the warm drizzly California Sunday in my armchair with the paper and cup of ginger tea. And the Newbery Committee? Well they are--done. By noon, Boston time, they'll have delivered their press release to the press office (where they are up nearly all night getting the awards presentation together for your enjoyment).
Posted by Jonathan Hunt on January 15, 2010
Yesterday, eighteen students and I discussed the following nine books. I have encapsulated our discussion in brief annotations.
CLAUDETTE COLVIN . . . Students liked how Hoose wove Claudette's voice into the narrative, and found the themes of the book very powerful, but while the arrest and trial were fascinating there was a noticeable lull in between those events.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS . . . This one got slayed. Everyone admitted it was light and funny, but most found that it had no deeper meaning . . . and yet it still got votes.
THE LAST OLYMPIAN . . . This one was praised for the humor and adventure, but like DOG DAYS, many found it did not offer something beyond me
Posted by Jonathan Hunt on January 14, 2010
Okay, I have been drawn to these list-making activities like a moth to the flame. While I listed my seven Newbery nominations in the previous thread in response to Monica's list, here, in the spirit of Fuse's Newbery/Caldecott post, are my thoughts, and some predictions, on what may win the various ALA Awards and Honors. I'll revisit this list afterward to see how I fared. ARBUTHNOT So many possibilities. Who would you want to hear? I think the appeal
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