Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog

November 6, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (7)

I've been steadily plowing through the many titles that have been suggested by you all, and still have a ways to go. My jaw isn't dropping yet, and I find myself thinking a lot about Jonathan's suggestion that "When I see the word writing in these conversations I am assuming that it is interchangeable with style which is merely one of the Newbery criteria--one of six, to be exact."   I'm not sure that I agree. 

"Appropriateness of style" to me suggests the tone of a book, or its rhythm, or arc, or voice...the "manner" or "character" of the presentation of the "stuff" that is plot, character and setting.  In this crietrion, as much as in as many of the other five that are "pertinent,...Read More
Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4

November 2, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (7)

It does appear to be wandering in circles.

I missed the anniversary of Anita Silvey's article "Has the Newbery Lost it's Way?" by exactly one month. But will mark its thirteen months by inviting people to read--or at least dip into--Christine Jenkins excellent article of thirteen years ago in Library Trends: "Women of ALA Youth Services and Professional Jurisdiction: Of Nightingales, Newberies, Realism, and the Right Books, 1937-1945." 

I read this article in KT Horning's excellent online course: The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future...Read More
Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4

October 29, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

...no, not the Dunderhead's discussion, but the novel by Suzanne Collins. 

Plenty of Spoilers follow.

Readers of this blog last year will remember I was unmoved by suggestions of The Hunger Games as Newbery material. I enjoyed the book a lot...just found it very flat and manipulative.  Nevertheless, I was eager to get my hands on Catching Fire, and though I found a trace of the same complaints, this sequel "redeemed" its prequel in my eyes. Newbery? I'm not sure. Let's talk about it. 
...Read More

October 26, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

Yes, Jonathan and I are out there pushing them. What picture book is out there that is Newbery worthy? What book of poetry? How low can you go...and how high? Whose appeal?

Now's the time of year to out these agendas and explore them...for there's nothing terribly wrong with an agenda at this stage of award selection, as long as its recognized as such.  Agendas do come to the Newbery discussion table of course...but they're pretty much impossible to move forward in committee discussion.  Once at the table, the list set (usually defined by the books that have been formally nominated by committee members), the discussion is focussed exclusively on the ...Read More
Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4

October 22, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (5)

While I scour my library for picture books to hold against Hook for discussion, here's some thoughts on possible poetry Newbery contenders.

Marilyn Nelson's Sweethearts of Rhythm has made some people's lists of favorites. Nelson is an astonginshly adroit poet, and here she takes poems about music and weaves them into an arc that speaks to...Read More
Industries: Awards, Books, Interviews, K-8, Preschool to Grade 4