Friday Exercise: Take backs allowed. #NotsoNewbery
In our second Friday FExercise. we get to have a little fun and do something that was my one of my favorite part of Newbery deliberations: take something back. Is there a book you suggested that you thought was totally Newbery worthy, but after seeing all the other books you decided it didn’t stand up in the field. Now’s the time to voice your opinion!
(And disclaimer this doesn’t mean the books not quality, just that it you don’t think it can stand for a Newbery)
I did have to go back to past suggestion posts to remember what I actually suggested and considering I didn’t even remember some of the books, I’m not sure what to make of that….
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Anyways after looking and revisiting my suggested books (which no, you are not required to post) and here’s what I would take back from the suggestion field if I could.
SCIENCE EXPLORERS: SEARCH FOR A GIANT SQUID
This is still one of my favorite books and I’m going to put it on every list I could. I love the conversational and engaging nonfiction style, but it’s hard enough for a nonfiction to stand for the Newbery and I don’t think this presentation fits the Newbery criteria.
THE HUMAN KABOOM by Adam Rubin
This was a book I suggested because I wanted to get other takes. I liked the idea of using a lot of short stories with the same title and such different themes but when I look back there just isn’t enough of the Newbery criteria present.
YOU ARE HERE- edited by Ellen Oh
I’m still upset about this and hoping that the committee finds a loophole, but Steven deemed this ineligible because of all the authors and sadly I must agree….
Take a look at what you suggested. Any titles you would take back? Let us know in the comments…
Filed under: Book Discussion
About Emily Mroczek-Bayci
Emily Mroczek (Bayci) is a freelance children’s librarian in the Chicago suburbs. She served on the 2019 Newbery committee. You can reach her at emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
Your Fall Newbery/Caldecott 2025 ‘Hey, Keep an Eye Out’ Lists
Early Sleepy Lines: A Cover Reveal(ish) and Q&A About Wheetle by Cindy Derby
DC Announces Fall 2025 Graphic Novels | News
The Seven Bill That Will Safeguard the Future of School Librarianship
Book Review: Pick the Lock by A. S. King
ADVERTISEMENT
I HATE that I also must take back You Are Here due to the same issues you and Stephen have mentioned before, Emily. UGH. IT WAS SO SO GOOD!
Do you think you might do a post about the changes in the Newbery Manual? One addition I found, very apropos to this post, is (I think) new text in the “Initial Discussion Meeting” section under “Agenda” that says, “Optional look at suggestions list. Members who have made suggestions can remove them at this time; removed suggestions can be added back at a later date” (30).
I’m all in for a Revised Newbery Manual post later on. I would be afraid that no one else would care, but now I know that, if nothing else, Leonard and I can enjoy hashing it all out.
Good catch on that change, Leonard. I don’t see anything like it in the previous edition of the Manual. And I don’t think I remember removing suggestions during my years. But I like the change, for the reasons Emily mentions in her post. A book can look pretty good early in the year, before you’ve seen many others. And Committee members are required to “consider” all books that are suggested, so taking some away helps with the workload.
That “consider” is important: the Manual never says members must read all suggested books. That gives members some flexibility, so if they’re 50 pages into a 450 page novel, they may have read enough to know it’s not a book that they’ll be thinking about for Newbery.
I would take out a couple that I nominated in spring:
JUST JERRY by Jerry Pinkney: This was a fine book, and especially interesting to an adult who has enjoyed the author’s work for so many years. But I don’t know that it has quite enough to engage a reader who’s not already a fan, and a Newbery-level biography should.
WHEN SEA BECOMES SKY by Gillian McDunn: Another book I still like a lot. The author executes a beautiful and totally surprising (to me at least) plot twist half way through. The rest of the story is solid, but I don’t think it will hold up against our best fiction of the year.
YOU ARE HERE: Because it’s probably ineligible….I think. I’m still not positive, though. Yes, it’s a lot of authors, but it really is one single story with a lot of characters. But no, we’re not the real Committee and we’ll just err on the side of: no.
I have a couple others that I no longer think will be strong contenders, but I wouldn’t remove them as suggestions:
THE WINDEBY PUZZLE by Lois Lowry. Seeing that this only got one suggestion besides mine, and it’s Lois Lowry, I’m assuming others aren’t supporting this one. This could be one that appeals more to adults than kids. Still, the very original premise and the creativity with which she plays it out is really impressive to me. I would want everyone to read this one (or at least “consider” it), even if it doesn’t go anywhere.
LEEVA AT LAST by Sarah Pennypacker. Another one with just two total suggestions, but I’d keep it in because it stands out from other fiction because of its kind of over-the-top comical plot. Or maybe if only to have something to compare to BEAKY BARNES…
I will always root for a funny book to win, and I loved LEEVA. The issue with LEEVA for me is that it feels so similar to MATILDA and SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS. I am having a hard time getting students to pick it up off the shelves. Much like last year’s “libraries are magical” pick of OGRESS AND THE ORPHANS, it has a very narrow audience in my library. (Also like OGRESS, the length may be a contributing factor.)
WINDEBY PUZZLE did not hit for me at all. It seems that people ether really like it or really don’t. I could appreciate the premise, but it didn’t blow me away that some of her other books have.