Jonathan Hunt is the Coordinator of Library Media Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. He served on the 2006 Newbery committee, and has also judged the Caldecott Medal, the Printz Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. You can reach him at hunt_yellow@yahoo.com
Well, I kind of put my foot in my mouth last time around when I declared that FLORA & ULYSSES was my least favorite DiCamillo novel (or perhaps I even said it was her worst–I can’t quite remember). Of course, then she went on to win her second Newbery Medal several months later. DiCamillo’s “worst” […]
The third Kirkus Prize shortlist has been announced and like its predecessors it’s chock full of Newbery possibilities. Yes, the shortlist always includes two picture books, two middle grade titles, and two young adult titles, but you know how we feel about the Newbery committee embracing the full breadth of its charge. The winner gets […]
PAX has already figured prominently in our discussions on previous threads. Since I get the feeling it’s one of those books we’ll have a running conversation about all season long, I’m not going to present a comprehensive treatment of the book here but rather explore some of the issues that have already been raised, tossing […]
We’re really pleased with the range of the National Book Award longlist! These are excellent choices with lots of possibilities for Newbery overlap. Sharon and I decided to divvy up the early spring titles for September discussions, so look for posts on BOOKED, RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE, and PAX […]
It’s been a privilege to co-blog with Nina these past several years at Heavy Medal. I would like to think that we’ve elevated the conversation about the Newbery Medal on a national level, and that we have constantly pushed each other and our audience to consider what we mean by literary excellence. This past season, […]
The 2016 winners have been announced. Hope you had time to catch your breath. Let’s start reading again! FREEDOM IN CONGO SQUARE by Carole Boston Weatherford . . . Fresh on the heels of the first Newbery Medal picture book, I offer you this one to consider. It’s got three starred reviews so far, and […]
CJ’s journey with his Nana is not just a simple bus ride; it is a multi-sensory experience through which he discovers that beautiful music, nature and people surround him. CJ’s questions are familiar, and Nana answers him with gentle wisdom. Right up until their arrival at the last stop on Market Street, Nana guides CJ […]
Everything is awesome! To find out–and discuss–just how awesome, check back here later in the morning . . . Link to live webcast is here. Medal: LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET Honor: THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE Honor: ROLLER GIRL Honor: ECHO Please share your thoughts on the winning titles and the YMAs in […]
From time to time, we have talked about the process for selecting honor books. There is always great interest in why the number of honor books varies from year to year, and that was especially true this past year when the Newbery committee selected 2 honor books, while the Caldecott selected 6 honor books. I’d […]
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