Mock Newbery 2026 - December Meeting

I didn't attend the first meeting of the season, because every book I started on the list - even if it was phenomenal writing - made me think "None of my students would read this." The second list has some slightly more kid-friendly titles, although none of them blew me away. Posted with results from the meeting. 

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent portrayal of grief and the guilt that can come with it.

Verdict: KEEP

 

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It was so good until it wasn't! I just reread a bunch to see if I had missed anything, but no, it doesn't seem clear at all as to why (view spoiler)[everyone ran out of the ship ... wouldn't they want to stay on it because they thought their mission was over and they were going home? (hide spoiler)]

I may still buy it for the library because kids ask for sci fi every so often and maybe they won't be as nitpicky about it. Because the first 75% or so was quite engrossing.

Verdict: KEEP

 

Is It Real?: The Loch Ness Monster by Candace Fleming
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved the setup and the way that Fleming walks the reader through assessing the evidence ... but after she asks you to make your decision 2/3 of the way through, she then presents decades more of research.

Verdict: KEEP

 

The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It was fine.

Some lovely turns of phrase.  
Even if I found the original premise a bit ridiculous.
And then rolled my eyes at the end.
I am jaded.

Verdict: KEEP

 

The Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

No real surprises, except for how they were able to afford so much sausage and so much sugar.

Verdict: DROP

Outside by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Heart surgery? Dog memories? I kind of guessed the big twist, and wasn't going to mind it too much because the target audience hasn't encountered as many stories like this yet, but the Wind/Poppy subplot took me out of it. Just silliness.

Verdict: KEEP

 

Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Too much going on, and it also suffers from the "stick some returns in the sentences to make it look like poetry" syndrome.

Verdict: DROP

Mock Newbery - Voting List

We made it to the end ... I read all of the 14 finalists (ok, I DNF'd 1 of them). I need to point out that MY favorite of them all WON THE ACTUAL NEWBERY. Yay, Erin Entrada Kelly! 

Sadly, it didn't take a Rhode Island Mock Newbery prize. Our winner was The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy; Honor titles were Not Nothing by Gayle Forman and And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipp.

My thoughts on the finalists below: 

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So good. The story just flowed, even if the time travel mechanics didn't QUITE make sense. But will they ever? I did appreciate that they did extensive research in the future on locations, to make sure nobody apparated inside a tree or under water. And Ridge's studied "slang" was hilarious. There was a good balance of adventure and FEEL-ings.

Most of all, I LOVED THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE, my alma mater, and the mention of the Christiana Mall ... I literally JUST took a photo of it from the highway a couple of weeks ago to send to my family as R. and I drove home to RI from DC.

And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fipps describes Joe's hunger and fear effectively ... reading this book was was very stressful! And underscores why I don't think teachers should have their kids do stuff for Mother's Day and Father's Day. Because some parents SUCK. But this book doesn't.

p. 11: The longer I wait for her, / the more nervous I get / that she won't ever return, / and yet / the more I fear her coming home.

p. 24: Nobody even looked at us. / We were invisible. / People didn't want to see us, / because if they did, / they'd get scared that one day / they could be us.

p. 142: For some reason the game Rock, Paper, Scissors / pops into my head. / Hakeem's strong / like a rock. / I'm a lightweight / like paper. / Paper beats rock. / But Hakeem's words cut like scissors. / 'Cause they're true.

Quibble: Would 6th graders really be sitting crisscross applesauce on carpet squares for a readaloud?

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So many feels. May everyone rise to the occasion of their lives.

p. 13 - "... the boy stood there, feeling that awful heat rising up in him. He was supposed to take breaths when he felt like this. But if breathing could make people happy, shouldn't everyone be happy, because everyone breathed?"

p. 89 - "The good stuff seemed to cancel out the hating part, but he wasn't sure because feelings were not math."

p. 146 - "It's ok to be a know-it-all if you don't think everyone else is a know-it-nothing."

p. 166 - "Sometimes it's easier to believe a pretty lie over a hideous truth."

p. 172 - "But stitch one small thing to another small thing and another, and eventually you have a tapestry as big as the world."

Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rare is the graphic novel with Newbery-worthy writing. This one packed a few gut-punches, not the least of which Weaver tried to end his life as a kid. Jesus.

p. 33: What if instead of one plant, we're actually gardens. What if we're a combination of many things? Some parts are massive centerpieces, and others are accents, but every detail is important. If the possibilities are endless ... what could I be? What seeds have I been planting? What will bloom in me?

p. 231: They both had feelings. Just because those feelings weren't the same doesn't make either of them wrong for having them.

p. 261: They say everyone is the hero of their own story. But if you're the hero, somebody has to be the villain.

 

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So so many kids have parents who just can't take care of them ... it makes me sad, and it makes me wonder just how many of my students are in situations they shouldn't be. I am thankful that Choldenko chose to make Hank's new classmates kind v. including any bullying. I could only handle so much angst.

 

Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A return to old form for Lowry ... this read like a book from my childhood. LOVED young Sophie's narration. Not sure if my students would understand Sophie Gershowitz' stories.

p. 7 - "Begin on the day that is different."

 

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We never found out what the rites were!

Agree with another reviewer that the Spirit storyline could have been edited out.

Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maybe I would have liked it better if I knew football better? I get what Safadi was trying to do with the definitions and poem titles ... as well as left-, right- and center justification.

Liked the shoutout to The Crossover.

As I'm typing this, Syria has had yet more cataclysmic change. Why are humans so ... ugh?

 

Telephone of the Tree by Alison McGhee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good writing, but some plot points gave me pause. Like the pizza guy using the telephone in front of Ayla as soon as he notices it. Or Dad calling her "daughter."

p. 119: Negative space is invisible, the things you don't see. But invisible is what makes everything around it full of color and shape and life.

Olivetti by Allie Millington
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Have I really never read a book with a sentient typewriter before? Great idea. But the book, sadly, disappointed me. Really did not like that the Everything That Happened was some giant secret nobody talked about. And the climax after the road trip? Really?

p. 35 - "But humans will believe anything. Especially if it means they can get what they want."

 
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I cannot picture handing this to any of my students.

Ghosts that only Charisse can see. Charisse only reading the Bible and Leaves of Grass. "Every good story is a love story." Uncle Ted's painting of the history of the world. "Mysterious Barricades." Astral projection.

Pinky, on the other hand, would be a hit with my kids. She needs her own early reader.

 

Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think it is very important for kids to know about the residential schools, but I don't think this book should have been a National Book Award finalist.

 


Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Mock Newbery 2025 - December List

I missed the first meeting, and was dismayed by how many books I thought were subpar were kept on the list. But that's ok. There is time to cut them! I read 11 (and abandoned 1) of the 19 books on the list, and here's what I thought of the ones that weren't discussed in October:

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So good. The story just flowed, even if the time travel mechanics didn't QUITE make sense. But will they ever? I did appreciate that they did extensive research in the future on locations, to make sure nobody apparated inside a tree or under water. And Ridge's studied "slang" was hilarious. There was a good balance of adventure and FEEL-ings.

Most of all, I LOVED THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE, my alma mater, and the mention of the Christiana Mall ... I literally JUST took a photo of it from the highway a couple of weeks ago to send to my family as R. and I drove home to RI from DC.

VERDICT: Keep



And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fipps describes Joe's hunger and fear effectively ... reading this book was was very stressful! And underscores why I don't think teachers should have their kids do stuff for Mother's Day and Father's Day. Because some parents SUCK. But this book doesn't.

p. 11: The longer I wait for her, / the more nervous I get / that she won't ever return, / and yet / the more I fear her coming home.

p. 24: Nobody even looked at us. / We were invisible. / People didn't want to see us, / because if they did, / they'd get scared that one day / they could be us.

p. 142: For some reason the game Rock, Paper, Scissors / pops into my head. / Hakeem's strong / like a rock. / I'm a lightweight / like paper. / Paper beats rock. / But Hakeem's words cut like scissors. / 'Cause they're true.

Quibble: Would 6th graders really be sitting crisscross applesauce on carpet squares for a readaloud?

VERDICT: Keep

Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well written, because Fleming, but I had a hard time remembering who was who and what their jobs were. Also, many of the jobs were confusing. How was Mavis able to figure out Italian phrases if she didn't speak Italian? I did not understand the Bombes or Baudot-Murray code even though Fleming tried to explain.

Anyways, may we never ration, because 1 egg, 2 ounces of butter, and an ounce of cheese is pretty much my typical breakfast.

VERDICT: Drop

  

Other drops that had been keeps, all of which I'm fine with:

• Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt 
  
  
• Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz 
  
  
• Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol 
  
  
• The Selkie’s Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan

Mock Newbery 2025 - October List

I wasn't able to attend the first meeting of the season, but I still want to share my opinions! Because I am judgmental! I read 11 (and abandoned 1) of the 17 books on the list, and here's what I thought of them. I missed the meeting because I had an event, but I've added the discussion results.

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So so many kids have parents who just can't take care of them ... it makes me sad, and it makes me wonder just how many of my students are in situations they shouldn't be. I am thankful that Choldenko chose to make Hank's new classmates kind v. including any bullying. I could only handle so much angst.

VERDICT: Keep

 

Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A return to old form for Lowry ... this read like a book from my childhood. LOVED young Sophie's narration. Not sure if my students would understand Sophie Gershowitz' stories.

p. 7 - "Begin on the day that is different."

VERDICT: Keep

 

Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's a Gary Schmidt book. Maybe I have read too many of them.

VERDICT: Keep

 

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We never found out what the rites were!

Agree with another reviewer that the Spirit storyline could have been edited out.

VERDICT: Keep

 

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hit and miss, like most books in the genre, but I appreciated that Watson used different poetic forms throughout, and Holmes' collages are lovely.

VERDICT: Drop

 

Olivetti by Allie Millington
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Have I really never read a book with a sentient typewriter before? Great idea. But the book, sadly, disappointed me. Really did not like that the Everything That Happened was some giant secret nobody talked about. And the climax after the road trip? Really?

p. 35 - "But humans will believe anything. Especially if it means they can get what they want."

VERDICT: Keep

 

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wish the spooky wallpaper girl had shown up earlier. She went from a flicker to a bitch to a gross entity to nothing in the matter of several pages. And we don't know who she was or how she got there. And she ended up having nothing to do with Violet's fatigue? Frustrating.

Also, Violet managed to not see her little brother - who lives in the same house - for DAYS?

VERDICT: Drop

 

The Selkie's Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was interested to read this because Nova Scotia and selkies, but it was just kind of boring. Some great sentences, though, like "Here the air’s flavored with the salty scent of sea wrack. Sandpipers stitch the hem of the waves, probing for prey with their bills." That's some poetry right there.

VERDICT: Keep

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Vordik's demise was quite nasty. As are most of the characters. This was fine for a middle-school graphic novel, but I'm not sure why it is on Newbery lists. I am realizing that one thing my students are missing out on with their reliance on graphic novels for almost all of their reading is that they rarely read descriptions of scenes or actions. It's just all dialogue.

VERDICT: Keep

 

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I cannot picture handing this to any of my students.

Ghosts that only Charisse can see. Charisse only reading the Bible and Leaves of Grass. "Every good story is a love story." Uncle Ted's painting of the history of the world. "Mysterious Barricades." Astral projection.

Pinky, on the other hand, would be a hit with my kids. She needs her own early reader.

VERDICT: Keep

The Color of Sound by Emily Barth Isler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Too much description too often of the music AND the colors. I wish Isler had picked one or the other. Especially since so many of the music details will be lost on the intended readers. "[H]is grin like a glittering arpeggio" ... what does that even mean? Let alone the references to specific composers and pieces. I've played some, so I got some. But my students ... nope.

Also, her conversations with Shanna don't seem to have made any difference in the future, so what was even the point?

I wish the supernatural stuff had been cut and way more attention given to the past and its repercussions earlier on in the book.

VERDICT: Drop

DNF: 

• Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz (No thank you on the creatures) 
  VERDICT: Keep

Mock Newbery 2024 - December List

I got through 5 more of the books on the list ... 7 if you count the ones I stopped reading. Posting after our meeting so we can see what made it to the finals.

 
You Are a Story by Bob Raczka
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this, but may skip the "You are a miracle" page when reading aloud for Mock Caldecott, because I don't want 6-year-olds asking me about zygotes.

VERDICT: Drop

 

The Song of Us by Kate Fussner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Other "novels in verse," take note. This is legit poetry. So many good lines. So many different formats. And a poetry club to boot. With authentic tween voices. Eden's dad is the suck.

VERDICT: Drop

Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hold up. They never heard of accommodations? What kind of school is this? Does nobody in the entire place have a 504 or IEP?

I liked that Selah advocated for herself, but I did not like that her mom pretended not to have any of the same issues and refused to accept that she did at first. Also liked that while a couple of kids were bullies, most of them were just confused, and that Selah realized she had been jumping to conclusions, just as she assumed they were.

VERDICT: Drop

We Still Belong by Christine Day
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked that it was short, took place all in one day, didn't have super mean characters, and had a sweet romance that culminated in HOLDING HANDS and a HUG GOODBYE.

But I had issues with Chris and mom ... they seriously broke up and he had nothing to do with the baby because of a last name? And had they been in touch throughout the past decade, or did he just stalk her social media, because he mentioned that she wasn't posting as much?

Also, can we PLEASE all stop using the term "Columbus Day"? Go Skye!

VERDICT: Drop

 

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Umm ... that was a children's book? No f'ing way would a kid have written that "play." And none of my students would read it. Even though the book is short and full of pictures.

VERDICT: Keep

DNFs: 

• Hope in the Valley by Mitali Perkins (it's fine, but not a Newbery) - VERDICT: Drop
  
  
• Conjure Island by Eden Royce (same) - VERDICT: Drop
  
  

Books I read for October that had been kept: 

Leeva At Last by Sara Pennypacker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whoever wrote the jacket copy needs a better editor. Because I almost didn't even bother reading this one for Mock Newbery. But I figured "I can always just stop if I hate it." But then I did not! Because I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!

Definite Matilda vibes, which I did not mind one bit. SO MANY quotable lines. Leeva is a wonderful heroine. I teared up a few times. I hugged the book a few times. I am going to tell everyone I know that they should read this book.

Oh, and Matthew Cordell's illustrations were reminiscent of Quentin Blake's and worked so well. I don't know how to add images to Goodreads or else I would take some pictures and include them.

VERDICT: Still keep

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

VERY reminiscent of "The Wednesday Wars," which is one of my favorites ever, and I'm ok with that, although the structure following the Labors of Hercules was a bit forced. Too coincidental that they even went in order. But a clever idea. However, I didn't feel as emotionally invested in Hercules as I did in Holling, and there were several stock figures, like Mr. Moby. Oh boy oh boy.

Still, Schmidt has a way with words.

p. 235: There was more light now - the clouds had shoved away and every star in the whole galaxy was glittering, and Orion was twisting his shoulders to watch, and the planet Jupiter had turned its lights up to High Beam, and Taurus the Bull was pointing his horns.

VERDICT: Still keep

  

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the interviews, emails, and texts, but the narrative parts seemed to sloooow everything down. While I understand how one of the characters was very torn between her public persona and her true feelings, the way she decided to avoid a situation was kind of ridiculous; the ending was kind of a letdown.

VERDICT: Drop

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For the most part, I liked Simon's voice and Bow's writing style. The whole microwave plot was confusing, though. And at 305 pages, the entire thing was too long.

P.S. I'm all for disgusting facts, but I CANNOT have someone talking about the smell of semen in a book in an elementary school library.

p. 28: To me, it kind of sounds like she doesn't know what to do with commas.

p. 77: "That squirrel is now thirty percent Jesus by volume," says Mom. "It's our new god."

p. 255: It starts to get dark, and then darker - that kind of blue dar, where you can still see everything, but the green of the trees and the red of Mr. Bagshott's emu barn both look black.

  

VERDICT: Still keep

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

VERDICT: Still keep

  

DNF: When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn (fast-forwarded to the end to hear that there was a twist) - VERDICT: Drop

Mock Newbery 2024 - October List

And so it begins. I read 7 (and abandoned 5) of the 26 books on the list, and here's what I thought of them. And I am posting after our meeting, so I've included what others thought as well.

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

VERY reminiscent of "The Wednesday Wars," which is one of my favorites ever, and I'm ok with that, although the structure following the Labors of Hercules was a bit forced. Too coincidental that they even went in order. But a clever idea. However, I didn't feel as emotionally invested in Hercules as I did in Holling, and there were several stock figures, like Mr. Moby. Oh boy oh boy.

Still, Schmidt has a way with words.

p. 235: There was more light now - the clouds had shoved away and every star in the whole galaxy was glittering, and Orion was twisting his shoulders to watch, and the planet Jupiter had turned its lights up to High Beam, and Taurus the Bull was pointing his horns.

VERDICT: Keep

Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a bit confused at times flipping back and forth between narrators so frequently, but overall this was really good and showed that situations can escalate into violence because of accidents, misunderstandings, and lack of communication. For most of my students, this will be a window book, but for many, it will be a mirror.

Also, I loved the idea of having an online chat with a friend via a shared Google Doc. How have I never thought of that before?

And the mention of Newsela reminded me that writing articles for students at different levels to read would be a good future job when I am too decrepit to carry books and furniture around.

VERDICT: People read "EbB and Flow," so saving for the next list

  

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the interviews, emails, and texts, but the narrative parts seemed to sloooow everything down. While I understand how one of the characters was very torn between her public persona and her true feelings, the way she decided to avoid a situation was kind of ridiculous; the ending was kind of a letdown.

VERDICT: Keep

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For the most part, I liked Simon's voice and Bow's writing style. The whole microwave plot was confusing, though. And at 305 pages, the entire thing was too long.

P.S. I'm all for disgusting facts, but I CANNOT have someone talking about the smell of semen in a book in an elementary school library.

p. 28: To me, it kind of sounds like she doesn't know what to do with commas.

p. 77: "That squirrel is now thirty percent Jesus by volume," says Mom. "It's our new god."

p. 255: It starts to get dark, and then darker - that kind of blue dar, where you can still see everything, but the green of the trees and the red of Mr. Bagshott's emu barn both look black.

VERDICT: Keep 

  

The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story by Lois Lowry
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Interesting idea, I guess, but I did not like the stories.

VERDICT: Drop

 

You Are Here: Connecting Flights by Ellen Oh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I get that this book aims to make people aware that "Asian" is a very broad term encompassing multiple cultures, that racism is wrong, and that you should speak up in situations. And it did that. But in a very repetitive way.

VERDICT: Drop

  

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

VERDICT: Keep

DNFs: 

• Big Tree by Brian Selznick (too out there for me) - VERDICT: Drop
  
  
• The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri (this is a book for kids?) - VERDICT: Drop
  
  
• Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles (I liked it and will go back eventually to finish, but not a Newbery ... maybe a RICBA book?) - VERDICT: Drop
  
  
• When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lại (too bad, because I loved Inside Out and Back Again) - VERDICT: Drop 
  
  
• When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn (fast-forwarded to the end to hear that there was a twist) - VERDICT: Keep