It’s very nearly time for the ALA Midwinter meeting (which is the conference where they announce the Newbery Medal winner), and while I generally intend to focus on books that are already officially Newbery books, it’s impossible not to speculate in these last few weeks.
There are so many wonderful books to choose from this year (which, alas, isn’t always the case), but you just never know. Sometimes the most obviously award-worthy books (like Gary Schmidt’s Okay For Now) are left out in the cold, and the winner is completely unexpected.
The obvious frontrunner is Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson – it’s a National Book Award winner, she’s a proven Newbery author, and both the style (poetry memoir) and the premise (young person coming of age in a tumultuous time/culture) are popular amongst Newbery judges, historically speaking.
After that, the field opens up a bit. My personal favorites are The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm (not only is this a good book but also, I’m more than a bit biased by Ms. Holm’s admiring comments about my baby), Rain Reign by Ann Martin, and Greenglass House by Kate Milford. I have a few books that I really like but just don’t think will be in the running (but I’d be happy to be proven wrong, as they’re certainly deserving): Revolution by Deb Wiles, Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire, and The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher (although that last was a bit hard to read, being a new parent, as it’s chock-full of dead or absent mamas).
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Not that anyone is reading this, but what do you think has the best chance to win?
Edit: I failed to mention one more book, because I can’t tell if I love it based on actual merit or my own personal biases (I went to art school and love books with good illustrations, and am also a master beekeeper) but Winter Bees is another possibility. I’ve got it on my list of Caldecott possibilities, but the more I look at it, the more I’m reminded of Joyful Noise and, of course, Dark Emperor. And it’s just such a delight to read. Who knows? But I’ll be crossing my fingers.
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