Over the Moon
When a committee only recognizes a small handful of books, it goes without saying that various people will be surprised and disappointed by the books that did not get selected. Nevertheless, when I consider the books this committee did recognize, I’m over the moon.
First and foremost, there is THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON. I loved this book when I first read it, and was effusive in its praise here. If I loved it so much why didn’t it make our Heavy Medal shortlist? Well, we thought WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER was also a strong fantasy book and it was a tiny bit shorter. Then, too, I think I’ve developed a learned helplessness when it comes to fantasy. It’s not only my favorite genre, it’s far and away the most favorite genre of our most voracious readers, and yet it rarely gets recognized by the Newbery committee. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON in 2010 and PRINCESS ACADEMY in 2006 are the most recent honor books, while THE GRAVEYARD BOOK IN 2009 is the most recent Medal. I second guessed myself too much with this title rather than going with my gut reaction. I’m also quite pleased to see a small press take home the big prize. Well done, Algonquin!
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I love the idea of FREEDOM OVER ME, and I loved the art, but the text always seemed like the weakest link to me. I will say this is probably because I haven’t spent enough time with it. Poetry needs time to sink its hooks into you, and my lack of appreciation for this book is clearly the result of not investing enough time. I will take this Newbery Honor as an invitation to get more acquainted. And I needn’t tell you that I’m of the opinion that every Newbery committee should have books like this that demonstrate they clearly and unequivocally understood that their charge was to pick the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, and not simply the best middle grade novels. After a couple years of graphic novels honors and a picture book Medal winner last year, this pick may not seem as subversive as it once might have, but make no mistake about it, dear readers, if graphic novels and picture books become a regular staple of the canon: It is!
To my mind, THE INQUISITOR’S TALE had all the trappings of my kind of story, but didn’t quite deliver on that promise for me. I wanted the plot to be less episodic, although I do understand the homage to THE CANTERBURY TALES. Perhaps another case where I wanted the book to be one thing, and it wanted to be something entirely different. I can definitely see how others how others have gotten substantially more mileage than I did. We flirted with including this one on our shortlist, too, but opted for a couple shorter books instead of a longer book. Like THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, I think this one will be especially popular with young readers, and could even make it into the middle school curriculum. Kudos for the handsome physical production of the book as well as the timely relevant themes. This also recently won the Sydney Taylor. 
None of the authors had been previously recognized by the Newbery committee, but WOLF HOLLOW was the only children’s debut, and what a debut it was! This is a book that drew some comparisons to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for its nuanced exploration of ethics and morality, and we’ve extolled its virtues here on Heavy Medal quite extensively. I think it’s a book that will probably hold up exceptionally well over the years, not that the committee is tasked with selecting for that criteria. It just has a timelessness, to my mind.
Taken together, these books do a fine job of representing the breadth and depth of American literature for children. Well done, Newbery committee. You should be proud of your work. I know I am.
Filed under: Book Discussion, 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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Well, I’ll chime in here.
Unlike you, Jonathan, I am not a fantasy person. I don’t actively seek out or read fantasy because it often seems so same-y to me. I had no intention of reading this book, but was swept up in early enthusiasm for it.
And I’m so glad I did. I loved this book. Capital L-loved it.
For me, it hits all the marks. The dreamlike narration that hinged on elements of the oral tradition was stunning, the language was evocative, the characters were crisply rendered, and the political undercurrent was artfully handled and hit all the right spots. I’ve never read any of Barnhill’s previous work (and the books that we have of hers in the library don’t often circulate), but there is such refined nuance in her writing style – at least in this book.
As an added bonus, my Mock Newbery kids loved this title, too, and cheered mightily when it won. When discussing GIRL, we talked a lot about the fairy tale elements, and there was cross-cultural appeal. One Indian girl pointed out how several passages evoked qualities of tales from her home country. And the kids universally loved Glerk.
I think this is a title, too, that I will revisit and re-read in a few years to see if it has stood the test of time. I think it will.
Thank you, Joe, for your comments. Like you, I am not usually interested in fantasy. At the age of 70, I also know there are too many books to read all of them in a lifetime . . . even award winners. BUT, based on what you had to say, I’m going to give the GIRL a try and hope my reaction will mirror your.