SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Book Discussion
  • Heavy Medal Mock
  • Process

December 27, 2020 by Steven Engelfried

Mock Newbery Discussion Starts Tomorrow on Heavy Medal

December 27, 2020 by Steven Engelfried   Leave a Comment

Our discussion of the fifteen titles on the Heavy Medal Book List (HBML) begins tomorrow! Members of the Heavy Medal Award Committee (HMAC) will introduce one book every day (except holidays and Sundays) over the next couple weeks. The HMAC members will discuss how each book might (or might not) deserve to be considered the most distinguished book of the year, based on the Newbery Terms and Criteria. Readers who are not on the HMAC are welcome to chime in as well. Here’s a bit more about how the discussions will work:

Start with positives: With each new post, we will “make positive comments first.” It’s also helpful to look for the strengths of a book initially, so that discussion doesn’t get immediately jump into complaints and criticism. Committees I’ve been on have followed this practice, which comes from the invaluable CCBC Book Discussion Guidelines. For practical purposes on Heavy Medal, we will stick to positives until either three positive comments have been posted or it’s 1:00 pm EST. Once either of those things happen, comments are open to any and all opinions.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Books are discussed over several days: Although we’ll post one new book almost every day through January 14th, that doesn’t mean discussion ends that first day. It’s fine to jump back to an earlier post and add your opinions several days later. You can keep up on who’s been commenting on which books by checking the “Recent Comments” box on the right side of the page.

Zoom Discussion on January 22nd: Shortly after all fifteen books have been discussed online, the HMAC will select the top five contenders, based on those discussions. The final five will be announced on Heavy Medal on January 15th or 16th. Then the HMAC will look even closer at those titles, discuss them live, and select the Mock Newbery winner. Zoom registrants will also vote in a separate ballot. Registration information for the free Zoom event is coming soon here and on SLJ.com.

Filed under: Book Discussion, Heavy Medal Mock, Process

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Steven Engelfried

Steven Engelfried was the Library Services Manager at the Wilsonville Public Library in Oregon until he retired in 2022 after 35 years as a full-time librarian. He served on the 2010 Newbery committee, chaired the 2013 Newbery Committee, and also served on the 2002 Caldecott committee. You can reach him at sengelfried@yahoo.com.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

December 2021

Mock Newbery Discussion Starts Tomorrow!

by Steven Engelfried

December 2021

Volunteers Wanted: Join the Heavy Medal Award Committee

by Steven Engelfried

February 2021

Looking Ahead to the 2022 Newbery Medal

by Steven Engelfried

December 2020

Introducing: The Heavy Medal Award Committee

by Steven Engelfried

December 2020

It All Starts December 28th: The Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Book Discussion Schedule

by Steven Engelfried

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Your 2023 Caldecott Comment Card

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Poems As Picture Books: Zetta Elliott Discusses the Upcoming A Song for Juneteenth

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

2023 ALA Youth Media Awards

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

FREEWATER wins the Newbery Medal, live reactions from Heavy Medal bloggers

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

A Conversation with Kendare Blake about BUFFY, THE NEXT GENERATION

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Susan Cooper on her Wartime Childhood and How Writing Is "Fed by My Unconscious" | The Newbery at 100

2021 Youth Media Awards Winners

Ringing in the Newbery (and Caldecott): An awards-trivia smackdown with Betsy Bird and Travis Jonker

Children’s Publishing World Reacts to Michaela Goade's History-Making Caldecott Medal, Rest of the YMA Winners

Linda Sue Park: Children Love Books with "Fierce Adoration" | The Newbery at 100

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Other Mock Newbery Sites

    • Anderson’s Bookshops
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Reads Mock Newbery
    • Northport-East Northport PL
    • Rhode Island OLIS
  • Resources

    • Jen J's Starred Reviews Spreadsheet
    • Newbery Manual
    • Newbery Medal & Honor Books
    • Newbery Terms & Criteria
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023