24 Newbery Possibilities: An updated list of reader suggestions
April suggestions have been submitted and tabulated, and we now have a list of 26 titles that could be contenders for the 2024 Newbery Medal. The year is early, of course, but it’s an interesting list. It includes graphic novels, picture books, memoirs, early readers, and a bunch of excellent children’s fiction. 10 of the 24 books are new suggestions this month (marked with an asterisk).
The complete list so far is below. And we’ll open up suggestions again in early May…so keep reading!
| Title | Author | Total |
| SIMON SORT OF SAYS | Bow | 4 |
| ALL THE BEATING HEARTS | Fogliano | 2 |
| * A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING | Santat | 2 |
| * NEARER MY FREEDOM | Edinger & Younge | 2 |
| THAT FLAG | Brown | 2 |
| THE WINDEBY PUZZLE | Lowry | 2 |
| AN AMERICAN STORY | Alexander | 1 |
| * BEAKY BARNES: EGG ON THE LOOSE | Stein | 1 |
| * BIG TREE | Selznick | 1 |
| A CROWN FOR CORINA | Kemp | 1 |
| * EVERGREEN | Cordell | 1 |
| FOR LAMB | Kline-Ransome | 1 |
| * HENRY LIKE ALWAYS | Bailey | 1 |
| IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY | Dunlap | 1 |
| * JOVITA WORE PANTS | Salazar | 1 |
| * JUST JERRY | Pinkney | 1 |
| * LEEVA AT LAST | Pennypacker | 1 |
| LOVE IS LOUD | Wallace | 1 |
| MY RED, WHITE, AND, BLUE | Tyson | 1 |
| ONCE UPON A BOOK | Lin & Messner | 1 |
| THIS IS NOT MY HOME | Yoh and Chang | 1 |
| * WHEN SEA BECOMES SKY | McDunn | 1 |
| * WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY | Swinarski | 1 |
| YOU ARE HERE: CONNECTING FLIGHTS | Oh | 1 |
Filed under: Suggestions
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.
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Small plug for Judy Blume Forever, a new documentary just out on Amazon Prime. A couple of current children’s lit luminaries make appearances, and overall it was very moving. So many children’s novels these days celebrate the transformative power of books (just read Leeva at Last, for example), but this is that in real life. Several years ago, amidst the Heavy Medal contenders, I re-read some Blume, and I remember sending an e-mail to a friend with the subject heading, “Judy Blume is great”.
This is probably connected to publicity for the ARE YOU THERE GOD? movie (coming soon to a theater near you!).
Ooooh, I like the idea of looking at Evergreen for a Newbery.
Oh Santat’s book is FABULOUS!
I’d also highlight for Newbery (but it’s probably more Printz) Jarrett Krosoczka’s “Sunshine.” It MOVED me.
Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt.
This looks like a suggestion for May, so I copied it onto the comments of our May Suggestions post…Thanks Laura!
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
A Rover’s Story was published in 2022, so not eligible for this Newbery (but a really excellent book!)