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Early Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Picks and September Suggestions
We are so excited to be able to offer even more perspectives this year here at Heavy Medal! Annisha, welcome welcome welcome! Roxanne: Now that we’ve had been reading the many reader suggestions...
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Heavy Medal Mock Newbery – General Call for Suggestions
Thank you for all who have been talking to us via the Comments in the past week. Please continue engaging on book discussion posts in the coming weeks/months. At this time, Steven, Annisha, and I...
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Can Newbery Winners Do It Again?
The Newbery Terms and Criteria state that “the committee is not to consider the entire body of the work by an author or whether the author has previously won the award.” So if an author has won...
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Introduction to Newbery
Today’s guest blogger is Lan Gao. Lan currently works as the Senior Librarian in the Youth Services Department at the Cleveland Public Library downtown branch. I asked if she would share how she was...
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Eventown – Distinguished?
Note to readers: For the sake of simulating Newbery Committee work where all members are expected to have read each book in full prior to face-to-face discussions, Heavy Medal bloggers will cite...
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The Newbery is Not For….
We’ll continue discussion of possible Newbery contenders later this week. Today, though, we’ll check in on the Newbery Terms and Criteria. The Newbery Manual, which describes expectations and...
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How Fare Poetry Books at the Newbery table?
Taking a quick count of the past 3 decades or so, one could see an upswing of poetry books (collection, single poem, or verse novels/nonfiction) being recognized by the Newbery committees: from 1987...
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Graphic Novels are here to stay.
Graphic Novels have become an integral part of children’s literature.2015, the Newbery Honor Book was awarded to El Deafo by Cece Bell, and the following year, the Honor Book went to, Roller Girl by...
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Summer Camp, Sharks, and a School Bus Road Trip
Today we’ll look at three books that are among the top 10 leaders in Suggestions from Heavy Medal readers. I see strengths in all and agree that Committee members should read and consider them. Would...
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Evaluating Graphic Novels for the Newbery: A conversation with Shannon Hale
Last year, the Heavy Medal team chose Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, as one of the finalists and it stirred up quite a host of comments, trying to parse out how to evaluate...
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A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”- James Baldwin Some debut novels are written and go overlooked, never to be heard from again. This post I...
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Where are the Nonfiction Newbery’s?
Of the sixty-six titles suggested here on HM so far this year, only seven are nonfiction. That includes two poetry books (UNDEFEATED and LION OF THE SKY), two picture book biographies (TWO BROTHERS,...
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Which “Moon” Book will make the 2020 Newbery List?
In the storied history of the Newbery Award, five books with “Moon” in their titles were celebrated: 2017 Medal Winner: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill; 2011 Medal Winner and Honor: Moon...
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Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly
Have you read Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut fantasy? If the answer is no, do yourself a favor and read it. Kelly’s novel is inspired by Filipino folklore that resonates as a memorable coming-of-age story...
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Coming Soon: The 2020 Heavy Medal Award Committee
Though January is still 60+ days away, it’s time to take a peek ahead at our plans for the third annual Heavy Medal Award Committee. The HMAC will be made of dedicated Heavy Medal readers engaging in...
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Newbery Nominations – 1st Round in October
In October, the real Newbery Committee members submit their first nominations. Here at Heavy Medal, we try to simulate the process without overburdening our readers. Instead of writing justifying...
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Pet by akwaeke emezi
Do monsters exist? Jam’s mom, Bitter, convinces her no such things live, particularly following the revolution from long ago, now life is peaceful and safe in the Utopian city of Lucille. When Jam...
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Possibly Distinguished “Page-Turners”
As a librarian I’m always on the lookout for books that are suspenseful, or, even better, scary. Those books can be easy to recommend or to booktalk, and although they don’t get Newbery recognition...
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Current Mock Newbery Nomination Result and a Brief Discussion of DiCamillo,...
Newbery Committee guidelines dictates that once a book is officially nominated, even if it’s a single nomination from just one of the 15 members, it must be read by all members and placed on the...
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Last, Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles.
What does a platypus, a bendy man, a camera that freezes time, golden hours, and Mrs. Nedra have in common? They are infiltrating the town of Logan County, Virginia, and our heroes the Alston Boys,...
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