Listmaker, Listmaker, Make Me a List!
Now we turn our attention from starred reviews to best of the year lists. I’ve included Booklist Editors’ Choice, Horn Book Fanfare, Kirkus Best Children’s Books and Best Young Adult Books, Publishers Weekly Best Books, and School Library Journal Best Books. When the Bulletin Blue Ribbons come out in a couple of weeks, I’ll update this list (which includes everything, including stuff too old for the Newbery, too young for the Newbery, and ineligible for the Newbery by virtue of citizenship and/or residency).
FIVE LISTS
YOUNGER READERS
THE LION & THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney
MIDDLE READERS
CLAUDETTE COLVIN by Phillip Hoose
MARCHING FOR FREEDOM by Elizabeth Partridge
WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead
OLDER READERS
MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork
FOUR LISTS
YOUNGER READERS
ALL THE WORLD by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee
HIGHER! HIGHER! by Leslie Patricelli
MOONSHOT by Brian Floca
MIDDLE READERS
THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly
OLDER READERS
CHARLES AND EMMA by Deborah Heiligman
FIRE by Kristin Cashore
THREE LISTS
YOUNGER READERS
BIRDS by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek
JOHN BROWN by John Hendrix
YUMMY by Lucy Cousins
MIDDLE READERS
A SEASON OF GIFTS by Richard Peck
THE STORM IN THE BARN by Matt Phelan
TRUCE by Jim Murphy
OLDER READERS
CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins
TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA by Shaun Tan
SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM by Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson
YEARS OF DUST by Albert Marrin
TWO LISTS
YOUNGER READERS
ADVENTURES IN CARTOONING by James Sturm, et al
BUTTON UP by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Petra Mathers
THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiana
DUCK! RABBIT! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
PHAROAH’S BOAT by David Weitzman
RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
REDWOODS by Jason Chin
THE SNOW DAY by Komako Sakai
THE FANTASTIC UNDERSEA LIFE OF JACQUES COSTEAU by Dan Yaccarino
YOU NEVER HEARD OF SANDY KOUFAX?! by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Andre Carrilho
MIDDLE READERS
ALVIN HO by Lenore Look
THE GREAT AND ONLY BARNUM by Candace Fleming
HEART OF A SHEPHERD by Rosanne Parry
THE LOST CONSPIRACY by Frances Hardinge
LUCY LONG AGO by Catherine Thimmesh
MISSION CONTROL, THIS IS APOLLO by Andrew Chaikin
THE SMALL ADVENTURE OF POPEYE AND ELVIS by Barbara O’Connor
OLDER READERS
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS by Tanya Lee Stone
THE ASK AND THE ANSWER by Patrick Ness
THE CARBON DIARIES 2015 by Saci Lloyd
CREATURE OF THE NIGHT by Kate Thompson
GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray
IF I STAY by Gayle Forman
LAST NIGHT I SANG TO THE MONSTER by Benjamin Alire Saenz
LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld
LIAR by Justine Larbalestier
PURPLE HEART by Patricia McCormick
WRITTEN IN BONE by Sally Walker
WRITTEN IN BONE by Sally Walker
Filed under: Uncategorized
About Jonathan Hunt
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
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So, based on this list, how does this sound?
Caldecott Medal
THE LION & THE MOUSE
Caldecott Honors
ALL THE WORLD
HIGHER! HIGHER!
MOONSHOT
Newbery Medal
WHEN YOU REACH ME
Newbery Honors
CLAUDETTE COLVIN
MARCHING FOR FREEDOM
THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE
Printz Award
MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD
Printz Honors
CHARLES AND EMMA
FIRE
Are we cool with these?
Quite cool (what with a snow storm headed our way). And let’s, ahem, see about that still-to-come-list, none other than SLJ’s very own Battle of the Kids’ Books of 2010! Woot, woot! Will there be any overlap, do you think? (For the rest, there is a good chance as Jonathan is one of three making up that list. The other two being myself and Roxanne Feldman.)
Excellent list, Jonathan…because it’s so close to what I would select. I love seeing Marching for Freedom and Claudette Colvin in the mix for Newbery, and Lion & the Mouse–what a great possibility for Caldecott. Sibert will be tricky in that there are so many distinguished nonfiction books this year.
It’ll also be interesting to see what surprises are in store–books that didn’t get the buzz but won medals or honors anyway. That’s a big part of the fun!
I really want CURIOUS GARDEN to sweep up and take them all down for Caldecott, but I do think you could be on to something here.
Our Mock Newbery finalists have been cut to 7:
CALPURNIA TATE
WHEN YOU REACH ME
DARKWOOD
SCAT
LOCKED GARDEN (strangely our frontrunner)
PEACE, LOCOMOTION
SLOB
Until I saw your list for Printz I was lamenting that my Newbery focus cut into my Printz reading but I’m with you on those titles!
I would love to see When the Whistle Blows honor for Newbery and also Jumped honor for Printz…
I know this is a Newbery blog, but I have do say I just don’t get the hoopla over CURIOUS GARDEN. It’s a lovely book…when you know the reference. Do you have to be a New Yorker to think this is distinguished?
Great list, Jonathan. Thanks for compiling and sharing this.
I’m surprised how few books had 2 or more stars from these distinguished journals.
The relationship between stars and award-winning, though, has to be seriously considered. What works for exemplary for a journal, doesn’t directly correlate with “distinguished”, let alone eligible. But this list is fun and very thought provoking. It also helps me read more before the January announcements! Cheers — Nick
Nick, if you want the compiled list of starred reviews go to the “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” post and click on the link to PW’s Shelftalker blog. You can see there are much more books on that list.
This list is for the best books list that each journal does (minus the Bulletin Blue Ribbons which are still forthcoming). But your point is well taken. Making a list of best books is much different than finding THE best book through a weighted ballot process. Then, too, PW Best Books, Horn Book Fanfare, and Bulletin Blue Ribbons typically have at least half as many “best books” as Kirkus, SLJ, and Booklist. So everything should be taken with a grain of salt. This compiled list is probably most useful as a reading list rather than a set of predictions; just don’t be surprised if books at the top earn recognition.