Meet the 2025 Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Award Committee
Our 2025 Heavy Medal Award Committee (HMAC) is officially set! We have 13 members, just two shy of the real Committee’s 15. Every one of them is committed to reading all 15 titles on our Heavy Medal Book List, then discussing each one, following the Newbery Terms and Criteria. They’ll look at a new book nearly every single day for over two weeks, starting December 30th (with a practice discussion on the 27th). The schedule with titles and dates is here. If you’re not an HMAC member, you can still participate in the discussion via the comments section.
Once the HMAC has finished looking at all 16 books, 5 finalists will be chosen for the Mock Newbery Live Zoom Discussion, which takes place on Friday, January 24th at 1:00 pm EST.. You can sign up to attend this free SLJ Webcast here.
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Here’s an introduction to each of our wonderful HMAC volunteers: (asterik denotes first time committee members)
Meghan Baranski*
School Librarian, Washburn Rural Middle School, Topeka, KS
Favorite Newbery Winner: If it’s all time, probably Holes by Louis Sachar. But The Last Cuentista is PHENOMENAL.
“I love discussing children’s literature with other professionals who directly influence and encourage kids to be active in a reading community.”
Elaine Fultz
School Librarian, Smith Elementary, Oakwood Public Schools, OH
“I have always been a Newbery and Caldecott enthusiast. As I read new books throughout the year, I am always thinking about the possibilities of awards. I share this passion with my students.”
Favorite Newbery Winner: Girl Who Drank the Moon
Deb Gerber*
School Library Media Specialist @ Stamford High School, Stamford, CT
Favorite Newbery Winner: 2004 Medal Winner: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo
“I want to try something new. I want to find the next best author / illustrator / story.”
Kate Olson*
Librarian, Logan Middle School, La Crosse, WI
Favorite Newbery Winner: I adore Out of the Dust, and The Eyes and The Impossible from last year, but the winner I think that has the most students appeal at the middle school is The Crossover
“I want to be all in on the Newbery excitement this year, and this is one way to really focus that reading excitement and energy!”
Quade Kelley
Youth Reviewer (15-years-old, High School Sophomore San Diego, CA); National Youth Ambassador for the Children’s Book Committee (CBC), Bank Street College of Education’s and Center for Children’s Literacy Youth Reviewers program; Youth Ambassador, United Through Reading
Favorite Newbery Winner: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
“The HMAC is a valuable opportunity for the book community to experience the fascinating, complex and otherwise secret process of choosing the most celebrated books in Children’s literature. I hope in the future the HMAC will continue to find new youth reviewers and give them a place in this super special space.”
Lauren Taylor*
Senior Children’s Librarian, Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, KS
Favorite Newbery Winner: Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly PLUS I’m a huge fan of some of the honor books which I feel deserve a shout out as well. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1998 honor) and All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat (2012 honor).
“I have been gobbling up every Heavy Medal post this year as I’m the one creating the short list for our Mock Newbery award and I’ve just so enjoyed all the commentary and work that y’all have done that I’d love to participate.”
Janee Jackson-Doering
Youth Services Consultant, State Library of Iowa
Favorite Newbery Winner: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli/Holes by Louis Sachar and New Kid by Jerry Craft
“I really enjoy being a part of the committee and it’s taught me how to look at literature from a critical eye. The camaraderie with others has been wonderful!”
Courtney Hague
Youth Librarian – St Louis County Library – St Louis, Missouri
Favorite Newbery Winner: either “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle or “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead
“I love the challenge of reading all the selected titles and then discussing them with other people who love children’s literature as much as I do.”
Julie Williams*
School Librarian, Sanford Middle School, Sanford, ME
Favorite Newbery Winner: The One and Only Ivan
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“I really love the (Newbery) quality of writing and the many ways that authors can weave together a story that is engaging and meaningful in character, plot, and depth of insight.”
Louie Lauer
Library Media Specialist, Fargo ND
Favorite Newbery Winner: It’s a tie between Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Bridge to Terabithia
“The Newbery Award consistently showcases a wide range of perspectives at the highest quality. I especially enjoy trying to predict what the committee might choose and hope to be on the committee one day..”
Sabrina Ponce
Children’s Services Librarian, Los Angeles
Favorite Newbery Winner: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
“I am hoping that my experience with HMAC serves as a stepping stone for being on ALSC committees and on the actual Newbery committee someday! That is my career goal as a librarian.”
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Jenn Potter
Teacher Librarian, Metrowest MA
Favorite Newbery Winner: I did really love The Eyes and the Impossible and Simon Sort of Says from last year.
“I love children’s novels and I’d love to be on the Newbery some day.”
Gabrielle Stoller
Youth Services Librarian, Meridian, Idaho
Favorite Newbery Winner I love The One and Only Ivan, Freewater surprised me by how strongly I felt it’s words and power….and so many more coming to mind!
“I have loved this experience so much and the dialogue with others. It has been amazing and I have seen my repertoire expand (also because others have helped me see things in literature I wouldn’t)”
Filed under: Heavy Medal Mock
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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SO many faces I love so well! Running into Janae at ALSC and talking all things book was a highlight and Quade, I LOVE your insights.
This is gonna be fun!
Hi Ms. Stoller! It was so great to meet you on HMAC last year. Thanks for all you do as a librarian all year! I’ll be looking for your comments on the feed this year 😉
Gabrielle – it was so awesome to see you at ALSC too, and Quade is outstanding! I’m stoked and excited for this year’s Heavy Medal!
Congrats, all! This looks like a really fun group!
Excited to be part of the nominating, fun! I’m finishing up the books I haven’t read yet, and I keep uncovering new favorites. This is going to be a tough, but fun year to discuss!
I am so excited to be a part of this group, and am racing to finish my last few titles. Loving this reading energy going into my holiday break!
LET’S GO!!!! I am excited and grateful to be a part of the HMAC and look forward to learning from you all.
The webcast is a unique opportunity to witness the magic and complexity of the annual book award process. Emily Mroczek-Bayci and Steven Engelfried do a great job moderating, and I hope that teachers, librarians, and students who are interested join in to participate. It is fun to see a few of my favorite returning librarians. It’s also great to see many listed services on a future ALA award committee as one of their goals.
Many HMAC alums have served or are currently serving on ALA award committees like Randolph Caldecott, Robert F. Sibert, and John Newbery. They can’t share the details of those committee experiences, but just watching them on the HMAC, I know that the legacy is in incredibly inspired and capable hands. The newest legacy addition is HMAC alum K. Mueller! Congrats!
Thanks Quade! Yes, like Quade said, it’s awesome seeing how many of you want to make the real Newbery committee someday. It’s possible; I’m doing it, and I was on the HMAC last year! Make sure you apply!
I’m really hoping one day Kelly!! I was selected to the Morris Seminar this past year and so I’m very very hopeful!
Woohoo! Congrats, Kelly!! Also excited to be returning to HMAC this year 🙂 I had such a great time discussing our favorite middle grade novels last year and can’t wait to get back into it this year! I already have so many thoughts – and FEELINGS – about our picks this year. (I know we are reading OLIVETTI for our practice discussion, but who else held back tears while reading this in public?)
Great to see so many familiar faces! Looking forward to great discussions about this year’s books.
@Lauren Taylor, love your shoutout to Ella Enchanted!
I am an Ella Enchanted stan for life!
So excited for this Heavy Medal opportunity again!