Looking for Newbery - Karen's Picks

Bill made his predictions yesterday, and now it's my turn.

It will come as no surprise to people who follow our blog how much I absolutely LOVE When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I believe this book is truly a classic; one which just gets better and better with each read. Viewing it through my students' eyes as we share it together as our class read aloud has been amazing. In my opinion this book is truly a distinguished piece of literature and would be well deserving of the Newbery Award.

For my Newbery Honor books, my selections are (drumroll, please!):

1) When You Reach Me (if for some reason it doesn't get the gold, it most definitely should be an Honor book)

2) Also Known as Harper -- I just reread this book in preparation for an upcoming parent/student Book Club. I forgot how beautiful the language in this book is. The descriptions of emotions and the use of poetry writing to convey emotions is a thing of artistry.

3) The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate -- This book is a historical fiction about a strong female. It is a riveting book, even though much of it takes place in a small vicinity - by the creek or in the house. The attention to details in the setting and the characters really makes this book stand apart from others.

4) The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis -- I know I am a fan of Barbara O'Connor's writing, but there's a reason for that. She understands and develops the small moments in life in her books. Her verbage is economical, and for me, that makes her stories very effective. When I think about this particular book, I think of the phrase, "small but mighty". I would also like to add that this was our class' first read aloud of the year, and my students absolutely loved it!

5) Love, Aubrey - Beautifully written.

So there you have it. My selections (hopes) for the Newbery Awards this year. There are several others I would be equally happy with, but these are the ones I think stand out in the crowd.

Truthfully, I really just want to be one of the people in our group of Central Ohio bloggers who have actually read the Newbery winner. Since this has never happened before, I'm hoping to make history this year. I've got my fingers and toes crossed!! :)

I truly don't envy the judges their job. I think there were a lot of great books to consider this year. Can't wait for tomorrow morning to see what they decide!! And I'll be with my Central Ohio blogging friends for breakfast, Awards conversation, and book shopping at Cover to Cover; what a wonderful day Monday will be!