Newbery possibilities on the National Book Award shortlist
Unlike the Newbery and most other ALA awards, the National Book Awards share their longlists and shortlists of finalists. The first ten for Young Peoples Literature were announced in September and now there are five remaining:
BUFFALO DREAMER- Duncan (no current suggestions)
THE GREAT COOL RANCH DORITO IN THE SKY- Galarza (teen book, no suggestions)
FIRST STATE OF BEING- Entrada Kelly (17 suggestions)
KAREEM BETWEEN- Saltagi Safad (September publication, no suggestions but on the nomination list)
THE UNBOXING OF A BLACK GIRL (teen poetry/ biography)
The NBA’s are different from the Newbery all kinds of ways. More details can be found in the Newbery Terms and Criteria, the Newbery Manual, and in the NBA’s Deadlines and Guidelines, but here are a few key areas of differences (and one shared element): (shout out to Steven for making this fancy chart last year)
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Category | Newbery Medal | National Book Award |
Judges | 15 committee members, appointed by ALSC President | 5 judges, selected by the National Book Foundation |
Contenders | Committee members identify and obtain eligible titles | Publishers submit titles for consideration; $135 cost per submission |
Age Range | Ages 0 – 14 | Age range for Young People’s Literature award not specified in the Guidelines |
Selection | Committee applies Newbery Terms and Criteria and uses weighted ballots as described in the Newbery Manual | Judges make decisions independently of National Book Foundation and Staff |
Confidentiality | Deliberations are confidential | Deliberations are confidential |
Looking at the shortlist titles, I think three are major Newbery contenders: BUFFALO DREAMER, THE FIRST STATE OF BEING and KAREEM BETWEEN. I still need to finish KAREEM BETWEEN but I am very impressed with the narrative voice so far. THE FIRST STATE OF BEING has had a lot of consistent Heavy Medal support, but I struggled with the plot development. What are your thoughts on the above titles? Which one do you think has the biggest chance of winning the Newbery and WHY?
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
Winter Light: An Aaron Becker Interview and Video Trailer Reveal!
Tegan and Sara: Crush | Review
The Seven Bills That Will Safeguard the Future of School Librarianship
Take Five: Dogs in Middle Grade Novels
Gayle Forman Visits The Yarn!
ADVERTISEMENT
Steven Engelfried says
I haven’t made it to KAREEM BETWEEN yet, but might as well look at two of the NBA finalists that, as Emily notes, are most likely to contend for the Newbery:
THE FIRST STATE OF BEING: I thought this was engaging and well-written. The three characters played off each other well. And the time-travel element was done deftly. It flowed neatly into the story without overwhelming readers with technicalities. The conclusion was satisfying…the way Ridge’s misbehavior actually caused a lot of good things to happen later, especially for Michael and Libby. I was a little put off by the parts with Ridge in the future. Considering the potential impact of Ridge’s act, there was a lack of tension and urgency as they tried to bring him back. Emily mentioned “plot development” as a concern, and I’d agree, especially in that future setting. This is one I suggested, and will recommend to kids for sure, but doesn’t rise to the level of a top seven nomination for me. I wonder how it will do in the NBAs?
Steven Engelfried says
BUFFALO DREAMER is the other NBA finalist I’ve finished. Though it’s a novel, I’d say this excels in the area of “presentation of information.” We learn so much about the residential schools, not just in terms of the horrible experiences of the students, but how that impacted their ancestors, and continues to do so. With a varied cast of characters, we see how living through historical events and/or coming to terms with them later, is different for each individual. At the same time, the plot and characters seem primarily to serve that informational end. Summer’s days with her family were interesting, but not compelling, and while the characters were distinct, I didn’t feel like they were truly memorable. On the other hand, it’s a 99 page book, so I may be expecting too much in terms of plot development and characterization. Still not a top Newbery choice for me, but I’m glad we have this book in our libraries.
Julie Ann Corsaro says
I like that the real Newbery Committee always lists strengths first. But I was disappointed in Buffalo Dreamer about the important topic of residential boarding schools, which has also gotten some nonfiction and picture book coverage this year. It has parallel storylines as the Indigenous protagonist spends time with extended family in Canada but also dreams after locking eyes with an elderly woman about a girl escaping from a boarding school. I found the latter part, which is the shorter part, to be the more engaging, even as it wasn’t that specific about the abuse nor about what was happening in the present day as gravesites appeared to be discovered. That said, Hornbook cited the book’s “child-friendly” narrative.
It’s a concise book as Steven notes that may work best for kids who aren’t ready for more explicit realities of the abuse or the curious who will seek out more information. I appreciated that the two storylines converge in the end. But I didn’t find the present-day storyline that involving as there was more showing than telling in writing style and not very deep character development.
I think Kareem is the stronger of the two NBA finalists that I’ve read. Dealing with the 2017 Muslim ban, it is well told in verse and has strong character development with an involving narrative voice as Steven notes. While it has activism, I found the parts about Kareem who wants to be a footballer and is doing the coach’s bigoted son’s homework (he hopes it will secure him a spot on the team) the most engaging. This creepy kid calls Syrian Americans like Kareem and a new immigrant (whom Kareem betrays at one point) “cereals.” Along the way, Kareem grows and changes.
I did have some concerns about the plot. At one point in the story, Kareem’s mother goes to Syria to bring her sick father to America, but I wasn’t exactly convinced that would happen during a violent civil war. As a result, she gets stranded when the Muslim Ban goes into effect, and Kareem and his remaining family joins protests at O’Hare Airport (his mother is eventually able to return home). There’s a part after the protest where Kareem goes on the news to talk about the ban, which felt tacked on. The story already had enough inherent drama. With lots of references to the Super Bowl winning 1985 Chicago Bears team, I also felt like I had seen this approach before with Kwame Alexander’s books. While I understand that the actual committee can only talk about the books on the table, there is always the question of what’s in the back of committee members’ minds.
Julie Ann Corsaro says
Sorry: I meant a lot more telling than showing.
Steven Engelfried says
In an earlier thread I had some questions about the super hero references in AND THEN, BOOM! and I’m back with more of the same for KAREEM BETWEEN. So maybe this is just me. In KAREEM, the football references are far more frequent. It almost seems like every thought or feeling Kareem has gets put into football terms. I was more interested in Kareem as a person than as a football fan or player, and I got tired of the insertions. I’m sure that structure must have been a plus for many readers…I mean, it’s an NBA finalist and all. But I thought the strongest parts were Kareem’s regular narrative voice (without football) and the plot involving his school experiences, his friendships, and the strong, personal view of how families can be affected by acts like the Muslim ban.