Two more titles: November Mock Newbery Nominations
It’s time to nominate two more titles for the Heavy Medal 2025 Mock Newbery
Readers nominated three titles in October for a total of 32 Newbery potentials. Now readers can nominate two more titles and then a final two in December- mirroring the process of the actual Newbery committee.
These numbers help as we create our “Early Six” booklist, which is coming soon.
The Newbery Manual notes that the nominations “make each committee member aware of which books require their closest scrutiny and which they need to re-read.” Members include “written justifications” with each nominated title, and this is typically the first chance they have to share specific the rest of the Committee, beyond a “practice discussion” that takes place in the summer. The nominated titles are the ones that will be on the table when the Committee meets to discuss and select the Newbery winner in January.
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Here’s the Heavy Medal nomination process:
- Nominate two titles in the comments below. Like the real Committee, we’ll require two exactly.
- Listing the two titles is fine, but if you would like to share a bit about why any of them made your list, or any strategic rationale, that’s great.
- If you missed last month, you are allowed to nominate five this month.
- Nominations will stay open through the end of Saturday, November 9th. We’ll post the totals on the 11th.
- The nominations list helps Steven and I decide which books to feature in future posts and develop the Heavy Medal Book List.
Add your titles to the list below. And feel free to strategize and ask questions about strategizing in the comments.
This is also a time to think about what books are being overlooked and what unique titles should be considered for the Newbery. Happy nominating!
Filed under: Nominations
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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QUAGMIRE TIARELLO COULDN’T BE BETTER by Larsen
loved this one!!! It was unpredictable in a good way and full of so much heart.
BUFFALO DREAMER by Violet Duncan
MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES by Adam Gidwitz
While nothing is perfect, I think it’s been a particularly strong year, which has made deciding difficult. That said, my nominees are:
Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams
The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming
OLIVETTI by Allie Millington
ENIGMA GIRLS by Candace Fleming
Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
I didn’t nominate any in October, so I am doing five nominations now
Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
The House Before Falling Into the Sea by Ann Suk Wang
Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar is one of my very favorite MG books of 2024 and I haven’t seen it mentioned here yet!
Also love Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
(and not eligible for Newbery but everyone should read Tig by Heather Smith — Canadian author, but it’s masterful!!)
I’m still in the middle of THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE. Has anyone else read that one? Has it risen to the top for you? (I’m not nominating; I’m strategizing.) Quade?
I did read this one and while I was engaged and enjoyed it, I do not know if it rose to the top for me. It was interesting and a fun read, but I didn’t think it would stand up as the best book for kids this year… I also read this around when I read the Enigma Girls and so I may have just been overwhelmed by the amount of coding in stories I’ve been reading
QUAGMIRE TIARELLO COULDN’T BE BETTER by Larsen
WRONG WAY HOME by O’Shaughnessy
I went back and saw that I’m allowed to nominate three more if I missed last month.
FIRST STATE OF BEING by Kelley
MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES by Gidwitz
BOOK. TREE. TABLE. by Lowry
Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Tree.Table.Book by Lois Lowry
Was SO sure I was going to come into this nominating period with Bletchley Riddle, but I wasn’t wowed.
Alright, my two are always And then Boom and Louder Than Hunger
But I’m also adding Olivetti to the mix. I found something special in its pages.
I agree on Olivetti!
Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
Hi everyone!
Late to this party – I didn’t nominate any in October, so now I’d like to nominate:
ACROSS SO MANY SEAS by Ruth Behar
THE WRONG WAY HOME by Kate O’Shaughnessy
MANI SEMILLA FINDS HER QUETZAL VOICE by Anna Lapera
All three books touch upon the loneliness, confusion, and hurt of being subject to historical or interpersonal forces beyond one’s control. ACROSS SO MANY SEAS is epic in its scale – readers learn so much history that is not often taught at school, and the intimate look that Behar gives us into the minds of each protagonist allows us to feel deeply for their different plights and appreciate the similarities between them. Similarly, O’Shaughnessy writes Fern in THE WRONG WAY HOME in such a mindful way that we look at mundane things around us (like jeans) through the eyes of this girl who has been taught to fear almost everything around her. I felt both heartbreak and triumph as Fern worked through all the deception in her life.
But can we talk about MANI SEMILLA!? I love that there have been many recent titles tackling sexism and menstrual equity (GO WITH THE FLOW comes to mind), but to write a narrative that not only takes on that issue but also sensitively depicts a fraught relationship between a mother and daughter AND teaches readers about femicide in Guatemala!? I was blown away by this book and would be very surprised if it does not at least feature in ALSC’s Notable Children’s Book list.
November nominations:
THE COLOR OF SOUND by Emily Barth Isler
OLIVETTI by Allie Millington
__________
My prediction for the early Six:
THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN (fiction/characterization,)
*LOUDER THAN HUNGER (free verse/ interpretation of a theme- gut pick for 2025)
MID-AIR (upper-end/YA)
ENIGMA GIRLS (non-fiction/presentation of information)
OLIVETTI (debut author)
FERRIS/ FIRST STATE OF BEING/ TREE.TABLE.BOOK. (1 Newbery Clout/ nailed appropriateness of style, plot and language for all 3.)
I just read The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza. It was great. Every book I just read is my favorite.
First time voting so this is my top 5:
Hank Hooperman
Louder than Hunger
Jupiter Rising
Olivetti
Wrong Way Home
I’m feverishly reading through books(at the time of posting I’m in the middle of book 68 that was ML/YA published this year), and it’s so hard to narrow it down choices to such a small selection!
Its been fun to read through books that everyone is picking(having read most of them at this point), and adding new ones to my TBR.
With that being said, my 2 books that I would like to add this month are: What is Color? By Steven Weinberg and How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger
What is Color? Is a nonfiction book detailing the historical context in which colors were used, scientific uses of color and ways that art cross into STEM. It was written in a creative way that allowed readers to engage with it in a way that created a connection with the author and his dog as they acted as narrators and tour guides through each color. I particularly loved that the end of the book provided experiments for further study of color. Humorous, engaging and a beautiful way to mesh graphic novel Elements that make it more accessible for people who normally don’t enjoy non-fiction books.
How it all ends is my traditional graphic novel entry. It gave a funny story about a middle school girl that skips her last middle school year and is thrown into high school. A coming-of-age story of friendship, first romances, and family. This book actually made me laugh out loud. I found myself sharing panels with my friend as I read it, because the scenes felt so real from a teacher lens. I loved how the words and pictures worked in tandem to make a perfect balance to show and tell the main characters emotions. This book truly spoke to me in the way that it depicted anxiety.
The Bletchley Riddle by Septys & Sheinkin shows the story of the work at Bletchley Park in a very personal way. An added bonus is when the two siblings need to decipher messages from their missing mother.
Ok, I don’t think I’ll get to finish The Bletchley Riddle in time, so I’m going to nominate two other titles this month.
FERRIS by Kate DiCamillo
THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN by Gennifer Choldenko
Olivetti by Allie Millington
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
I missed nominations in October, so here are my top choices:
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
The Wrong Way Home
Olivetti
Tree. Table. Book.
Kyra, Just for Today
I am not an expert, only an elderly woman who adores middle grade realistic fiction and reads many titles each year. I felt moved to reply to your list because your top choices are five that were particularly special for me.
DEER RUN HOME by Ann Clare LeZotte:
A novel in verse about a Deaf child who experiences abuse and neglect, and whose ASL interpreter wins custody of her in court. Effie’s friendship with Cait, a girl who has CP and uses a wheelchair, is beautiful, as is her concern for the deer population that is being displaced by new housing development.
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Jupiter Rising by Gary Schmidt
This is way harder than I thought it was going to be when I started this journey in the beginning of the year! I have like 4 I want to nom (not including the ones I did last month which were also amazing) I’ve been reading and listening my way through a ton of the books that have been suggested. I’m trying to focus my thoughts on the quality of the writing and less of my personal thoughts on the books which is challenging!
For this round I am nominating 1. Not Nothing by Gayle Forman. I listened to this as an audiobook and I thought the style choice of having the book told by Josey, the 107 year old Holocaust survivor was both unique and enjoyable. What stands out to me in this book are its characters. Josey is probably the oldest human character I have ever read about and his story is enthralling. I also loved how much Alex grew on me as I got to know him through the novel.
The second book I’d like to nominate is The Color of Sound. I had just finished the book when the post about words on the page came out and it encapsulated everything I loved about this book. The lyricism in the writing paired with the content beautifully. The way the author describes synesthesia is fascinating. I’m struggling to put into words my thoughts on this one after the long week of teaching children to read, but I think that universal theme of standing up for yourself and being misunderstood is so very relatable.
And Then Boom by Lisa Fipps
Thuraly enjoyable novel in verse. It was heartbreaking to see the hardships Joe went through. Yes it has similar themes to Hank Hooperman but is still distinctive in it’s own way. I really enjoyed both books but am leaning twords Hank Hooperman though I still want to nominate And Then Boom.
Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz. A great historical fiction that captured my attention through. Though enjoyable it is only half a story which makes me wonder if that will be considered.
I loved all 3! Hank Hooperman seems to fit better into Newbery Rubrics, but And then, Boom! really sticks with you, right?
and YES! Max in the House of Spies is still one of my favorite of the year.
QUAGMIRE TIARELLO COULDN’T BE BETTER by Larsen
Always exciting when a book you just read jumps up into nomination status. I just wrote about this one in a post about “settings,” but the characters, themes, and plot are also excellent.
BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS by Watson
It’s my poetry standout for the year and with a re-read I do think this works effectively within the Newbery age range of 0-14.
So many good ones! I’ll nominate Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming and The Color of Sound, by Emily Barth Isler.
I run a Newbery Club for 5th grade students – they have not read Enigma Girls yet – but I’m very interested in their take on it. Their favorites so far are: The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, Operation Happy, and And Then, BOOM. I find many of the titles for our club from this group, so thank you for all the recommendations!
My two are ACROSS SO MANY SEAS by Ruth Bedhar and MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES by Adam Gidwitz. Two very different historical fiction titles that each excel in delineation of setting and character development
1. Mid-Air by Alicia Williams
2. The Wrong-Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy
I am late, so I completely understand if these can’t be included, but here are my 5 (because I also missed October 🤪).
1. The First State of Being
2. Ferris
3. Not Quite a Ghost
4. The Witching Wind
5. Spirit Sleuths