Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog

February 23, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

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
Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4

February 19, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

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
Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4

February 15, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

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

Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4

February 5, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (3)

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:

• marked by eminence and distinction: noted for significant achievement
• marked by excellence in quality
• marked by conspicuous excellence or eminence

...Read More
Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4

February 2, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

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