Steven Engelfried

Posts by Steven Engelfried

January 29, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Looking Ahead: Early Thoughts about 2026 Newbery Contenders

The 2025 Newbery winner has finally been announced, so we take a short look ahead at possible contenders for the 2026 Medal.

January 25, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Heavy Medal Reader’s Poll Results

Over 140 ballots were cast in our Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Reader's Poll. Full results here...

January 20, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

THE FINAL FIVE: Heavy Medal Mock Newbery 2025 Contenders

Take a look at the five titles the HMAC committee selected to discuss and vote on during the free Zoom Webcast on Friday January 24th.

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPEERMAN by Gennifer Choldenko

January 16, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

The last book we'll discuss in our Mock Newbery is THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN by Gennifer Choldenko. It's been a favorite all year long of many Heavy Medal readers and now it's time to explore why.

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: A STRANGE THING HAPPENED IN CHERRY HALL by Jasmine Warga

January 15, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Jasmine Warga's A STRANGE THING HAPPENED IN CHERRY HILL "excels at great characters, a keep-you-guessing plot and felt very appropriately interpreted for its intended audience," writes Heavy Medal Award Committee member Lauren Taylor. Join the Mock Newbery discussion and see how this middle grade mystery holds up among other contenders for the 2025 Medal.

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: QUAGMIRE TIARELLO COULDN’T BE BETTER by Mylisa Larsen

January 14, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Now up for discussion in our Heavy Medal Mock Newbery: QUAGMIRE TIARELLO COULDN'T BE BETTER by Mylisa Larsen. Heavy Medal Award Committee Member Janeé Jackson-Doering notes that "this book tackles themes of growing up, anger, first love, mental illness and anxiety through wry humor."

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: NOT QUITE A GHOST by Anne Ursu

January 11, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Can a horror novel for children contend for the Newbery Medal?. Anne Ursu's NOT QUITE A GHOST is a Heavy Medal Mock Newbery finalist

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: MID-AIR by Alicia D. Williams

January 10, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Alicia D. Williams won a Newbery Honor in 2020 for her first novel. Her newest book, MID-AIR, is a Heavy Medal Mock Newbery finalist.

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: LOUDER THAN HUNGER by John Schu

January 6, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Next up in our discussion of 2025 Newbery contenders: LOUDER THAN HUNGER by John Schu. Heavy Medal Award Committee member Meghan Baranski states that this book "gives a realistic glimpse into the mental battle it takes to confront a Voice that is relentless with its lies and harm." Is it a Newbery frontrunner?

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: THE ENIGMA GIRLS by Candace Fleming

January 2, 2025 by Steven Engelfried

Of the 15 titles on the Heavy Medal Book List, Candace Fleming's THE ENGIMA GIRLS is the only nonfiction entry. Will this riveting historical story measure up to this year's other Newbery contenders?

Trending on the SLJ Blog Network

Politics in Practice