Cast Your December Nominations: The Final Countdown
With December around the corner, it’s time to submit the final two nominations for the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Award. This is the last of three rounds for nominations, two titles for a total of seven books nominated. Like the real Committee, Heavy Medal readers were asked to select three titles in October and two in November. The 52 titles already nominated are listed here. Now it’s time to choose our final picks.
It’s fun to do the math- like if every member on a Newbery committee nominated a different book than there would be 105 total titles to read!!). But that never happens!
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Now is a key time to think about strategy. Do you want to add your support to a title that already has nominations? Or go strictly by your personal ranking, regardless of nomination totals to date? Or pick books that might not be your top choice, but have the “strongest” Newbery potential? Or choose a “long-shot”, a book that hasn’t been nominated yet, but you want to have a place on the table?
On Heavy Medal, we’ll consider the nominations totals as we select the titles for the Heavy Medal Book List, which will be announced soon. We already know six books that on that list, but it’s fine to use your last nominations for any of those six as well.
Please comment your nominations below: you can just name the titles, but you’re also welcome to include a bit about why you chose them.
If you missed either of the previous nomination periods you can catch up now, as long as you don’t exceed seven total. December Nominations will close on the end of the day Saturday, December 2nd and we’ll post totals on Monday the 4th.
Now own Monday, own your final nominations!
Filed under: Book Discussion, Process
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.
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I have been waiting all weekend for this! Granted, I was reading all weekend, too, in preparation.
I am choosing to add my support to a couple of titles I read that I think should be bumped higher.
6. THE DREAMATICS by Michelle Cuevas
The descriptions in this one wowed me, as did the originality of idea. I think it’s distinct in its writing.
7. STAR SPLITTER by Matthew J. Kirby
The themes of life and what it means to be human – I could write a whole paper on either of those two! A first person style isn’t unique, but the book pretty much had to be in first person to make sense, so I think that gives it some style points, and I loved the cliffhangers between the before and after chapters.
I would like to add my support for BEA WOLF solely because I think it’s a really impressive piece of work, and maybe more people will read it with more nominations! I do worry about how integral the illustrations are though…
This selection is the hardest. I have four possibilities. But here goes:
Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day
-When Sea Becomes Sky by McDunn
-A Work in Progress by Lerner
A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING – Santat
SIMON SORT OF SAYS – Bow
6. Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman
7. We Still Belong by Christine Day
Bea and the New Deal Horse by L. M. Elliott
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
I hope you’ll take a good look at THE SONG OF US by Kate Fussner! I feel it’s been overlooked and it is such a lyrical book that truly captures middle school life.
1. Mona Lisa Vanishes (I know it’s already on the list but I love it so much)
2. The Skull
3. My Head Has a Bellyache
4. Mexikid
5. Parachute Kids
6. Good Different
7. Chinese Menu
I really want to see a discussion about my first choice and also a combo discussion with my second choice about different ways they each approach trauma
So
THE DREAMATICS
and
SIMON SORT OF SAYS
I still have some reading to do I may add more before dec 4th
Good Different
Gather
Gone Wolf by Amber McBride
Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca
A Work in Progress – Lerner
Hope in the Valley – Perkins
Enemies in the Orchard – Vanderlugt
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary Schmidt
I enthusiastically nominate Enemies in the Orchard, a novel in verse by Dana Vanderlugt. This book is no fun. During this unsettling to frightening time, Vanderlugt creates a timeless work that not only tells a riveting story based on her family’s experience during WWII, but also opens the art of poetry to those who would never believe they would be so deeply engaged by a story BECAUSE it’s told in verse. The profoundly relevant subject is the exploration of the complex dynamics that arise when Nazi POWs are sent to work on Vanderlugt’s grandfather’s apple orchard. Son John is in Europe fighting the Nazis while the Nazis are picking apples. Relevant? Vanderlugt’s piercing psychological insights awaken readers of any age.
I happily nominate Robert Schecter’s THE EAR BLOWS ITS NOSE. Robert is a children’s poet full of whimsy, cleverness and joy. We need more poetry in the world!
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day a great historical book about the Mona Lisa that hooked me from the beginning. I didn’t know much about this story soit was fun to learn about it.
The Puppets of Spellhorst by Kate DiCamillo. A short and sweet story. I like how she was able to pull everything together. Stuff from the beginning sudinly made sense and was neatly brought into later part of the story.
Enemies in the Orchard by Dana VanderLugt
Final Picks.
+ 6. THE MANY ASSASSINATIONS OF SAMIR THE SELLER OF DREAMS
+ 7. THE SONG OF US
___________
Previous Selections (October Nominations)
1. A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING (WINNER)
2. THE LOST YEAR
3. THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL
Previous Selections (November Nominations)
4. THE EYES AND THE IMPOSSIBLE
5. MY HEAD HAS A BELLY ACHE
Rounding out my top 10:
8. SUNSHINE
9. MONA LISA VANISHES
10. IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE
Knocked out Nominations on my Top 10 of 2023 list:
– Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself by Lesley Younge, Monica Edinger
– You Are Here: Connecting Flights by Various, Ellen Oh (editor)
– Gather by J. Kenneth Cadow (Teen & YA, 15+ )
Caldecott Favorites for 2023:
-An American Story by Kwame Alexander & Dare Coultier (WINNER)
-Evergreen by Matthew Cordell
1. The Lost Year by Katharine Marsh (It is my top pick, too.)
2. The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla
3. The Labors of Hercules Beale by Gary Schmidt
4. Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
5. The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day
6. The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others by Robert Schechter
7. Animals in Pants by Suzy Levinson
I would like to nominate “The Red Ear Blows Its Nose” by Robert Schechter. Of all the children’s poets I know, Robert is the only one whose poetry is an absolute delight to read for adults as much as it is for children. He has a knack for mesmerizing readers of any age with his uncanny use of words, rhymes, rhythm, images and humor that tickle the mind to no end. He’s like a combination of English professor and a bunch of kids let loose in an amusement park. It’s mental stimulation that’s kooky, brainy and more fun than a carnival ride. Buckle up, y’all!
1. The Labors of Hercules Beale by Gary Schmidt
2. Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day
I held off until Saturday just in case something I’m reading this week would make it (or that I would get a copy of ENEMIES IN THE ORCHARD in time, which didn’t happen), but nothing quite did. So I’ll put in a couple that have been leaders for me all year:
IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE by Steve Sheinkin
It’s a riveting true story, for sure, but I also like the way it was bigger than just Rudi surviving and escaping Auschwitz: he also had to tell his story and convince the world that it was true. I also like comparing this one to THE MONA LISA VANISHES: two first-rate nonfiction history books that are just so different in style and content.
BUFFALO FLATS by Martine Leavitt
Emily mentioned some possible strategic approaches in her post, and this one fits two of those for me: “personal ranking, regardless of nomination totals to date”: This is still one of the strongest books of the year in terms of Newbery Criteria for me.
“a ‘long-shot’, a book that hasn’t been nominated yet, but you want to have a place on the table?” No nominations for this book, but I would still want to see it on the discussion list.
Buffalo Flats – One I would have missed without the recommendation, and it’s so good!
Simon Sort of Says – An early favorite that I still really like!
THE LOST LIBRARY by Stead and Mass – I think this will be its 3rd nomination, which is unlikely to help it make the cut but does elevate it slightly from the pack. While I understand the excitement of advocating for debut and less-known authors, in a year when it looks like Kate DiCamillo is getting only 2 nominations, I think our established great writers deserve shout-outs too.
THE CARDBOARD KINGDOM #3: SNOW AND SORCERY by Sell – I love the spirit and humanity of these books.
Putting my two in and closing comments. We’ll post the final list Monday Dec. 4
GONE WOLF- very impressed by the shifting perspective, setting, and characterization.
PUPPETS OF SPELHORST- I mean DiCamillo does it again?