Predict the Newbery Winner! With the announcement of the 2021 Newbery Medal just a week away, it’s time to share your predictions of the titles that have the best chance to be chosen as “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.”
The Heavy Medal Award Committee will has selected five excellent titles as finalists for our Mock Newbery Award. They will discuss these and vote during a live Zoom webcast on January 22nd. How many of the five finalists rank high on your list of the the best children’s books of the year?
The last book on our Mock Newbery Award list is WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER by Tae Keller. Heavy Medal Award Committee member Barbara Rohrer cites the author’s “magical command of literary devices, voice, and revisionist Korean folktales” as distinguished elements to kick off discussion of this unique novel for children.
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed worked together to create WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED, a graphic novel that is “important, relevant, and relatable,” according to Heavy Medal Award Committee member Tegen Beese. Will this unique collaborative effort contend for our Mock Newbery award on Heavy Medal?
In Kat Leyh’s SNAPDRAGON, “it is the moments and conversations that the characters have with each other that truly bring this story to life,” according to Heavy Medal Award Committee member Amanda Bishop. This unique graphic novel is now up for discussion as our Heavy Medal Mock Newbery process continues.
“Amy Timberlake’s SKUNK AND BADGER is a hilarious and poignant tale about compromise,” according to Heavy Medal Award Committee Member Meredith Burton. Read her introduction and join our Mock Newbery discussion.
SHOW ME A SIGN by Ann Clare LeZotte joins our Mock Newbery Discussion today. Heavy Medal Award Committee member Aud Hogan notes that “Lezotte’s ability to capture a time, place, community, and individual in writing make this book distinguished.”
THE RISE AND FALL OF CHARLES LINDBERGH “explore[s] a difficult and complex individual,” notes Heavy Medal Award Committee member Emily Mroczek (Bayci) as she introduces this biography into our Mock Newbery conversation.
Next up in our Mock Newbery discussion: PRAIRIE LOTUS by Linda Sue Park. Heavy Medal Award Committee member Courtney Hague finds this historical novel “distinguished in many ways…from the development of the plot and delineation of the characters to appropriateness of the style.”
Registration is now open for the Mock Newbery LIVE Zoom Event on January 22nd at 1:00 pm (EST). Check out the details and click on the link to register for this free event sponsored by School Library Journal.
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