MORE 'BOOK-DISCUSSION' POSTS
Short List Title: REAL FRIENDS (Titles on our short list will be included in the live Mock Newbery in Oakland.) In our earlier discussion of REAL FRIENDS, I mentioned that I struggled to evaluate the book using Newbery criteria. I was stuck on: “The committee is to make its decision primarily on the text.” With my recent […]
Long List Title: ALL’S FAIRE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL (Titles on our long list will be included in our online conversation and balloting, alongside the short list titles.) I’ve been a strong supporter of ALL’S FAIRE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL from the start. I found the plot more compelling, emotionally, than that of REAL FRIENDS, our other […]
Short List Title: ORPHAN ISLAND (Titles on our short list will be included in the live Mock Newbery in Oakland.) There is maybe no more controversial title on our list, and I really look forward to the discussion of this title, here, and in person in Oakland. For the purposes of this post, I’m going to […]
Long List Title: LOVING VS VIRGINIA ( (Titles on our long list will be included in our online conversation and balloting, alongside the short list titles.) The book is subtitled: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case — a “documentary” “novel,” not a “verse novel” and not a nonfiction. So, I read it […]
Short List Title: I’M JUST NO GOOD AT RHYMING AND OTHER NONSENSE FOR MISCHIEVOUS KIDS AND IMMATURE GROWN-UPS (Titles on our short list will be included in the live Mock Newbery in Oakland.) I often distrust the age-designation “For All Ages” on recommended book lists. For, no doubt, each book must have a target audience: by the author’s choices […]
Long List Title: PRINCESS CORA AND THE CROCODILE ( (Titles on our long list will be included in our online conversation and balloting, alongside the short list titles.) PRINCESS CORA received three starred reviews and made one “Best Books of 2017” list (PW). It’s been mentioned here on Heavy Medal, but not extensively. I’m certainly glad to have […]
Short List Title: HER RIGHT FOOT (Titles on our short list will be included in the live Mock Newbery in Oakland.) In Steven’s previous post about this short listed title “The Message of Ms Liberty’s Foot,” the many strengths of this informative and inspirational picture book were mentioned. I want to especially echo Steven’s assessment that […]
Long List Title: PATINA It is easy to look at Patina and compare it to other books this year. How does Patina, as a character, compare to Starr? To Malu? To Imogene or Shannon in our two graphic novels? I’d love to hear readers thoughts on this. As for me, I think she is an incredibly strong and […]
Short List Title: HELLO, UNIVERSE (Titles on our short list will be included in the live Mock Newbery in Oakland.) Before I go any further, I just want to give everyone a heads-up that I am writing this from Australia, where I am visiting for a couple of weeks. This just means that, depending on where […]
Long List Title: REFUGEE (Titles on our long list will be included in our online conversation and balloting, alongside the short list titles.) Alan Gratz’s novel received six nominations on this blog, which puts in up near the leaders. I find it especially strong in “presentation of themes.” The three separate, but related stories all […]
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