It's time to start taking a closer look at the children's books of 2017. Please read one or (better yet) more books for the first meeting. Participating in the Mock Newbery is an opportunity to read the newest children’s books and to discuss them with other passionate readers. Please join us!

Mock Newbery Meeting #1
Wednesday, September 27, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
St. Andrews School, 63 Federal Road, Barrington, RI

Please register for this program: http://www.olis.ri.gov/services/ce/regis.php

And don't forget to join the RI Mock Newbery Goodreads group!

1. Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan. (Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster, 2017)
2. Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk. (Dutton Books, 2017)
3. Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel by Kimberly Willis Holt. (Henry Holt, 2017)
4. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Garcia Williams. (Amistad, 2017)
5. The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish. (HarperCollins, 2017)
6. The End of Wild by Nicole Heglet. (Little, Brown, 2017)
7. Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes by Mary E. Lambert. (Scholastic, 2017)
8. Forever, or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter. (HarperCollins, 2017)
9. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. (Greenwillow, 2017)
10. Me and Marvin Gardens by Ami Sarig King. (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2017)
11. Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson. (Houghton Mifflin, 2017)
12. Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder. (Walden Pond, 2017)
13. Real Friends by Shannon Hale. (First Second, 2017)
14. Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart. (Scholastic, 2017)
15. See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng. (Dial, 2017)
16. Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan. (Dial, 2017)
17. The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla. (HarperCollins, 2017)
18. Train I Ride by Paul Moiser. (HarperCollins, 2017)
19. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman. (Henry Holt, 2017)
20. The Warden’s Daughter by Jerry Spinelli. (Random House, 2017)

For a printable list and more info check out the OLIS Mock Newbery page.

Please send suggested titles for Reading List #2 by September 28th.

Reading List #2 will be available September 29th.

Keep track of the crème de la crème with Jen J.'s Booksheets. These helpful spreadsheets track starred reviews, award winners, and "best of" lists.

For Those About to Mock reviews current Newbery contenders and discusses past winners in the "Newbery Wayback Machine" feature.

School Library Journal's blog Heavy Medal is a go-to for in-depth reviews and Newbery discussion.

Fuse #8 does a quarterly round-up of Newbery & Caldecott predictions that often bring attention to outliers.

While not solely dedicated to Newbery topics, the following blogs often discuss Newbery contenders and the award process in the context of representation and diversity:

American Indians in Children's Literature

Disability in Kidlit

Reading While White

Can't get enough award talk? Check out Calling Caldecott, Guessing Geisel, and Someday My Printz Will Come for a big picture look at the year in books for kids & teens.

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in the United States during the preceding year. The Award is restricted to authors who are citizens or residents of the United States.

Criteria:
1. In identifying "Distinguished Writing" in a book for children,

a. Committee members need to consider the following:

• Interpretation of the theme or concept

• Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization

• Development of a plot

• Delineation of characters

• Delineation of setting

• Appropriateness of style

Note: Because the literary qualities to be considered will vary depending on content, the committee need not expect to find excellence in each of the named elements. The book should, however, have distinguished qualities in all of the elements pertinent to it.

b. Committee members must consider excellence of presentation for a child audience.

2. Each book is to be considered as a contribution to American literature. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the text. Other components of a book, such as illustrations, overall design of the book, etc., may be considered when they make the book less effective.

3. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound or film equipment) for its enjoyment.

Note: The committee should keep in mind that the award is for literary quality and quality presentation for children. The award is not for didactic content or popularity.

Adopted by the ALSC Board, January 1978. Revised, Midwinter 1987. Revised, Annual 2008.

The Mock Caldecott discussion is scheduled for Tuesday, January 23, 4:00pm-6:30pm at the Greenville Public Library. The Mock Caldecott reading list will be available on November 3. Have suggestions for the Mock Caldecott reading list? Submit them by November 1.

Email: danielle.margarida@olis.ri.gov
Website: http://www.olis.ri.gov/services/children/newbery.php
Location: RI Office of Library and Information Services, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Phone: 401-574-5309
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olisri
Twitter: @olisri