Tuesday, February 5, 2013

What's Your Favorite Newbery Book?




The Newbery's were just announced.

I haven't ready any of the winners yet, but I have read Newbery winners from other years.

 It has to be a book published in America and when deciding on the book's degree of excellence, the committee takes into consideration the interpretation of the theme or concept, the handling of characters and setting, how the plot is developed, overall presentation and organization and style.

In other words, what are you trying to get kids to think about? Make sure the characters are distinct and have reasons they do what they do and make your setting shine. Have a good plot and make sure your story is accurate, easy to understand and organized. And tell the story in the way a kid would understand it and want to read it.

I have been to the library checking out past winners. I told the librarian today that I wished they put the Newbery winners in a separate section so they would be easier to find. She said they did that before but the children wouldn't check them out, so they mixed them in with the other books.

I also read a review on Amazon of a winner and the reviewer said their child didn't want to read a Newbery winner because they were boring. One of my neighbors, who is a teacher, said she didn't particularly like the winners either.

So what does all this mean?

The last one I read, Dead End in Norvelt, I didn't like either. I felt it started out very slow, went into too much detail in a lot of places and I didn't like the way it ended . . . it was too abrupt of an ending. I also didn't like the father in the book, he seemed to care only about himself and wasn't a very good role model for his son.

Some of my favorite winners are Sarah,  Plain and  Tall, Because of Winn-Dixie, A Year Down Yonder, Holes and A Long Way from  Chicago.

You can click here to see a list of winners from past years.

What do you think of Newbery winners?

What are your favorite ones?

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.







14 comments:

  1. Jon Classesn won the Caldecott for This is not My Hat. I totally disagree with that award. The book is not very good at all. The book also won E.B. White Read Aloud (there isn't anything much to read) and the Theodor Geisel honor. No rhyme, no humor either. Bleh! I've decided all that is politics. *sigh* Makes me worried for the industry.

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    1. Robyn, I wonder how some books get picked, too.

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    2. Personally I thought This is not My Hat was hilarious. I guess we all have our own tastes.

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    3. I've seen snippets of this book and read lots of reviews. Seems to be a wide difference of opinion on this one, you either love it or hate it. I need to get a copy and read it.

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  2. I've liked some and not others. From this year's list I LOVED Three Times Lucky and The One and Only Ivan (the other two I haven't read yet).

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    1. I've heard a lot about The One and Only Ivan, I'm going to read it the first chance I get.

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  3. I've found that when it comes to awards, I'm usually more excited about the honor books than the winners. Not sure why that is...

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  4. The ones I've read I've loved, but there are a lot that I haven't read. I'll admit I've read more as we go back a couple decades to when I was that age. The newer ones I'm less familiar with.

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  5. I mostly read adult and some YA. I haven't read Because of Winn-Dixie, but I did see the movie and love it. I hope the book was as good as the movie.

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    1. Hi Carol, I think the book was better than the movie!

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  6. Oh, I totally believe that about the kids not checking out the Newberys if they're segregated!

    I've loved some and hated others. I've correctly guessed two of them over the years (The Giver and would you believe I've forgotten the other?). I'm very pleased this year. I LOVE Ivan. And I'm so happy that Splendors and Glooms was an Honor. Now THAT is a distinguished contribution to American lit for kids, IMO. Which reminds me that one of my favorite Newberys was Good Masters, Sweet Ladies. I don't know how often it circulates, but I thought it just HAD to win.

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  7. I have a lot of favorites. The first to come to mind is Sarah, Plain and Tall... I noticed it was on your list too. I also liked Moon Over Manifest.

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  8. Thanks for the link to the list, it was fun to read. I can't believe The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is really that old! It was one of my favorites as a kid. Some other ones I've loved more recently are Holes and When You Reach Me.
    Cindy

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  9. I read and loved Holes, Bud, Not Buddy, and Number the Stars. :) Such wonderful books!
    ~Jess

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Thank you for your comments. I love comments!