Poll #2 is now open

Doing the math

Kathleen Horning points out the obvious flaws with the math in attempting to apply the Newbery voting criteria (15 people voting on a pool of dozens) to our vote (50 people voting on one dozen titles)….  and suggesting that ONE CRAZY SUMMER has the “landslide” with 34 of our 50 voters casting it in their top three, and 20 first place votes over any other titles’ 6 or less. Jonathan goes on to get into some of the guesswork regarding honors, and Wendy points out that there is no quality control on this process. In other words, a mess. But an interesting one.

I tend to KTs argument, and in fact, I almost “called it” this morning instead of dragging it out, but I’m frankly curious to see it play (always my problem in poker)…especially to see if it shifts the middle ground.    So….

Goodbye to Charlie and City Dog

Narrowing the field may be a fool’s errand at this point, but these two seem straightforward, if bittersweet.  With the lowest number of total votes, and all their votes in 3rd place, I don’t seem them rising, though redistributing 8 third place votes may not move much.  Let’s bid them adieu nontheless. I’ll look forward to seeing them discussed by the Notables committee at Midwinter.  CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG is a book that I’ll wager has a long and well appreciated life, and I’m so pleased that 6 voters could see it as a Top-3 choice under Newbery criteria.  SIR CHARLIE will delight many readers assigned to read “a biography longer than 100 pages” and birth some Chaplin fans. To Fleischman: “Exit, smiling–“

And on to the second ballot

Let’s see how many of our first pollers participate again, and if it changes anything. Polls will be open until 5pm PST Wednesday, with results (of some sort!) shortly after.  Take your time if you need to, since you have it!  The Newbery committee might take a meal break to do some re-reading, re-considering…

VOTING IS CLOSED

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