Kidsmomo

On June 21, 2017, Kidsmomo reader Cassie asked us for some award-worthy book recommendations:

I love all books and do you have any books for the Newbery?

That’s a great question, especially now that we’re halfway to the next Newbery announcements (which will be in January 2018). Cassie, I’m going to answer your question two ways:

1. Potential Newbery Winners Worth Reading:

There are several blogs out on the interwebs that identify books that are getting lots of buzz and might be Newbery contenders. So I’m going to let those blogs do the work for me, and give you their suggestions:

From 100 Scope Notes:

– The Ethan I Was Before
– Orphan Island
– The Someday Birds
– Thick as Thieves
– See You in the Cosmos
– Me and Marvin Gardens
– Wishtree
– Scar Island
– The Pearl Thief

From Heavy Medal:

– Isaac the Alchemist
– Let’s Clap, Jump, Sing & Shout; Dance, Spin & Turn It Out
– The March Against Fear
– Me and Marvin Gardens
– One Last Word
– Pathfinders: The Journeys of Sixteen Extraordinary Black Souls
– Princess Cora and the Crocodile
– Thick as Thieves
– The Warden’s Daughter

2. Newbery Medal Winners I Love:

The American Library Association has been giving out Newbery awards since 1922, so that means there are A LOT of winners out there. Below are my particular favorites — selected just from the Medal winners. (If I were to include Newbery Honor recipients… forget it — the list would go on for days and days!)

• Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (1936)
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (1968)
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (1978)
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1979)
• Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (1984)
• Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (1986)
• Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (1991)
• The Giver by Lois Lowry (1994)
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (1995)
• Holes by Louis Sachar (1999)
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (2000)
• A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (2001)
• Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (2011)
• Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (2012)
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2013)
• The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2015)

Cassie, I hope that gives you some good ideas for what to read next — and potentially enough books to keep you busy all summer!

To the rest of you: If you’re like Cassie and want some customized book recommendations just for you, submit an Ask Kidsmomo question in the form below!

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— Karen

Okay, Karen can’t stop herself from mentioning some of the recent Newbery Honor books that she loves: Brown Girl Dreaming, El Deafo, Three Times Lucky, Inside Out & Back Again, One Crazy Summer… The list goes on and on! Literally. Like, here is the list of all the past winners ever.

More about Karen »