August Suggestions Now Open: Let’s Keep Building our 2025 Mock Newbery List
As summer zooms by, along comes another Mock Newbery suggestion period. We are just shy of 50 Mock Newbery suggestions, which is lower than years past. here are two suggestion periods left and plenty of time to add ( as always, we could especially use titles that aren’t middle grade fiction).
Suggestions are open from today until Saturday August 10th. Share the titles and authors of any Newbery-eligible books you’ve read in the past month, following our usual guidelines:
– Up to five titles per month
– Only books that have been published in print form already
– It’s fine to add titles that are already on the list
For more detailed background about our suggestions process, check this post from earlier this year. Please add your titles and authors below and we’ll share an updated cumulative list next week…
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Let’s get suggesting!
Filed under: Suggestions
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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Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman is all for this month.
My #1 choice for this year so far.
All my votes for all the months go to Hank Hooperman
LOUDER THAN HUNGER by John Schu
ISABEL IN BLOOM by Mae Respicio
Ditto for HANK HOOPERMAN!!!
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
I second MAGNOLIA WU UNFOLDS IT ALL by Miller
MANI SAMILLA FINDS HER QUEZTAL VOICE by Anna Lapera
Gooseberry by Robin Gow
Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Miller
Olivetti by Allie Millington
No Place Like Home by James Bird
The Life-Changing Magic of Chess by Maurice Ashley
Hank Hooperman
Magnolia Wu
No Place Like Home
Ultraviolet
Are some of my favorites this summer!
Read almost all 50 Emily 😉
This was really tough but my 5 are:
The 10th mistake of Hank hooperman
Louder than hunger
Wrong way home
Sona and the golden beasts
Olivetti
I know it already has lots of suggestions but I have to add another for tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman. Loved this book it’s my top contender. I couldn’t put it down and was crying by the end. Hope it at least gets an honor.
I also just recently finished Louder Then Hunger. Tough not my top contender I still thought it was pretty good and wouldn’t count it out for Newbery.
Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
Mid-Air
OOPS! Also Louder Than Hunger
Spent July catching up on books – made it through the top eight from the list last month and a few others. My favorites:
THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN
THE COLOR OF SOUND
FERRIS
We Who Produce Pearls
Ferris
Max in The House of Spies
Louder Than Hunger
The Night War
The First State of Being
No Place Like Home is 2023. I loved it too though!!
Olivetti by Millington
Enigma Girls by Fleming
Ferris by DiCamillo
Mid-Air by Williams
Max in the House of Spies by Gidwitz
August Nominations:
To answer the request for non middle grade fiction, here are a few Children’s books I thought were great:
1. The Perfect Place by Matt de la Peña Illustrated by Paola Escobar
2. Volcanoes by Nell Cross Beckerman Illustrations by Kalen Chock (Siebert Award Consideration)
3. Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence by Maisha Oso and Illustrated by Candice Bradley
(MG fiction)
4. Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
5. Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar
I have had many editors and reviewers ask me my predictions for 2024-25. This year I have gone back to the Newbery rubrics but am gaining more confidence in what I call the “feels.” While I can have my opinions changed after close reading and listening to advocates of other titles, generally I have a gut feeling. Its the book that hits the rubrics but just sticks with me, and when I re-read it I find more to think about.
If you are looking to read a few of my top “feels” already released for 2024:
* Louder Thank Hunger by John Schu
* Max in The House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz
* The Color of Sound, Emily Barth Isler
* Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
Books I know librarians will love and I think will be in Newbery discussion:
*Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
*The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
* Enigma Girls by Fleming (Sibert Informational Book Medal)
Dark Horse:
* Olivetti by Allie Millington
Incoming favorites for Fall 2024 (read the ARC)
-Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt (8.27.24)
-Black Star by Kwame Alexander (9.24.24)
-The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin (10.8.24)
That’s all for today. Thanks.
AND THEN, BOOM! by Lisa Fipps. I really enjoyed this one…it’s powerful.
Just finished THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN. I’m going to join the crowd and nominate this one…a really memorable book.
Hank Hooperman I read tonight and yep. Definitely
And Then Boom
Louder Than Hunger
The Science of Friendship by Tanita Davis
I didn’t quite make it to five this month:
CONTINENTAL DRIFTER by Kathy Macleod
FORCE OF NATURE by Ann E. Burg
LIFE AFTER WHALE by Lynn Brunelle
THEY CALL ME NO SAM by Drew Daywalt
I’m not sure yet if CONTINENTAL DRIFTER is eligible. Author/illustrator grew up in Thailand and lives in Germany, but went to college in the US and her father is American. She would need to be a US citizen or a 1/2 time resident to be Newbery-eligible.
Adding my vote to Life After Whale. If it’s not in the Newbery discussion, the Sibert committee almost certainly has its eye on that one.
ONE BIG OPEN SKY
TREE TABLE BOOK
And Then, Boom
First State of Being
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
Ferris
Tree.Table.Book
Add my vote for Hank Hooperman
These three are probably long shots, but I really liked them and they’re eligible:
* The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy
* The Cats of Silver Crescent by Kaela Noel \—^.^
* Not the Worst Friend in the World by Anne Relliham—automatic points for Harriet the Spy Connection
Closing the comments and sending my one suggestion. BRIDGE TO BAT CITY by Ernest Cline. I am not finding big Newbery contenders this year. Maybe this month I’ll get inspired… we shall see.