My 2011 Newbery Predictions

The Newbery Medal will be announced in just a few days, so it's time that I stopped flip-flopping and make my final predictions. This has been a banner year for children's literature which makes predicting the winner a bit of a challenge. All of my predictions are books that my students have enjoyed. I feel that the book that wins the Newbery Medal should meet the criteria set by ALSC while also appealing to children.

Newbery Medal

Keeper by Kathi Appelt

I found this story truly unique. I loved the setting, the story within the story, the magical/mystical feeling throughout, and the lyrical & poetic nature of the writing. It's not a book you can read quickly. It's a story to enjoy slowly, savor each word. At times, I read chapters aloud to my 3rd grade son. He was immediately pulled into the story. His eyes bulged at the mention of Keeper's mermaid mother. Students at school are crazy about the book too. I can't keep it on the shelf!

Honor Books

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Wild Cards (These are books that I thought met the criteria and were "distinguished." I would love to see any of these titles with an "Honor.")

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor
Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer
Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder
Star in the Forest by Laura Resau
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

Mock Newbery Results

The school-wide Mock Newbery Assembly was held today. It was a great success! Ten guest speakers from our community shared passages from books on the Top Ten list. At the end of the assembly, the Mock Newbery Book Club members voted for their top books. We used a ranking system that is outlined in the Mock Newbery manual.

Here are the results:

Mock Newbery Winner
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Mock Newbery Honor Books
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Falmouth's Mock Newbery Book Club

It's been a busy fall, and my focus has been on the Newbery Medal. I've had the pleasure of working collaboratively with the children's librarian from our town on a Mock Newbery Book Club. We believe it is the first Mock Newbery program in the state of Maine.

The book club was open to students in grades 3-6, and we had close to 50 students take part in the program. Louise is on the 2011 Newbery Committee, and the Mock Newbery Book Club was her idea. She wanted to find a way to share the excitement of the Newbery Medal with the community. Louise and I read widely over the year, and we created three Mock Newbery reading lists. Louise read hundreds of 2010 titles. I read about 70 titles from 2010, and I also read hundreds of reviews and followed Mock Newbery discussions on Good Reads as well as other Mock Newbery Blogs.

Each month, students in the book club read at least two books from the reading list. The book club met after school each month from October through December. One challenge was the size of the group. Louise and I split the group in two, and we each met with one smaller group. We had 25 students in a group, which was too large making it difficult to have in-depth conversations about the titles. Fortunately, the assistant librarian at school was really interested in the book club. She volunteered to stay after school and helped facilitate a group which brought the size of the discussion groups down to about 15.

Plummer-Motz Library web site

Another challenge was finding enough copies of books to satisfy the reading habits of 50 enthusiastic readers. Louise and I attended the ALA Annual Conference in DC, so we had a number of ARCs. I used book fair money to purchase copies of some of the books, and we encouraged families to use interlibrary loan at the public library. If we run this program next year, I'll need to set aside some library funds to purchase multiple copies of each title on the list.

Falmouth Memorial Library's Mock Newbery Blog

Just before our final book club meeting in December, students had the opportunity to nominate their favorite books for the Top Ten List. Here is the list in alphabetical order with my two cents about why the book was nominated by students.

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass (Kids loved that the story was told from different characters' points of view. The idea of kids in a candy factory is also intriguing to the under 14 set.)

Countdown by Deborah Wiles (Members really connected to Franny, and they loved the documentary aspect of the novel.)

Keeper by Kathi Appelt (Who doesn't love a mermaid story? Kids were mesmerized and loved the surprise ending.)


Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer (Students were in awe of Singer's ability to write poems that made sense forward and backward and told two points of view.)


A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole (Mice stories tend to be popular with middle readers, and Celeste lived up to readers' expectations. Our 3rd and 4th grades study John James Audubon, so many readers had background knowledge which made it an interesting read.)

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (This book has struck a chord with many readers in our school. Students really felt a sense of empathy for Melody after being "in her head." Whenever students stopped by the library to return the book, they would stay and chat about what it meant to them.)


Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly Gherman (Kids loved finding out how The Peanuts started. Charlie Brown and Snoopy are still popular with kids today, and the text was really accessible to kids.)


The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger (This title is a favorite of middle grade readers. It's such a unique book which is in tune to real kids, and students love creating their own Yodas.)

Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord (Maine author, Maine setting- Kids in Maine enjoyed the story!)


Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm (The boys in our group liked this book as much as the girls. One boy told the group that it's a great book, but don't judge it by its cover. Typically a cover with a girl standing on a beach holding a starfish does not scream out to boy readers, but word got around fast that this was a great book. The Diaper Gang was a big hit with boy and girl readers, and kids love any books with buried treasure.)

On January 3rd, our Mock Newbery Book Club members will be honored at a school-wide assembly. A passage from each book will be shared by guest readers from the community, and then members will vote. I can't wait to see which book wins!

I Attempt to Write Book Reviews

So, I made writing book reviews one of my goals for this school-year. I took the plunge last week and attended my first children's book review meeting sponsored by the Southern Maine Library District. The way the book review works is that publishers send new books to the examination collection at the Portland Public Library. Librarians meet once per month and select new books to read and review. Each month, the group meets to share their reviews and to select new books.

I left the meeting with 7 different titles that I had not read before. I decided to put my Maine Student Book Award reading on the back burner for a few days so that I could get a start on my review books.

Here are a couple of reviews I wrote last night.

The Red Umbrella. By Christina Diaz Gonzalez. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. 284 pages. $16.99

Young adult readers will gain an understanding of the Cuban revolution in this debut novel by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. Set in 1961 revolutionary Cuba, The Red Umbrella follows the life of Lucia, a fourteen year-old daughter of an affluent banker. When soldiers take control of Lucia's town, her carefree life changes drastically. Her family is watched, neighbors are murdered, and friends pressure Lucia to join the Jovenes Rebeldes (Rebel Youth). Lucia’s parents send Lucia and her brother to the U.S. in an attempt to protect the children from Castro’s regime. Readers will empathize with Lucia as she tries to adjust to her new life with a foster family in Nebraska while retaining her Cuban roots. Gonzalez uses Spanish phrases to weave this rich story about family, friendship and a teen caught between two cultures.

Clemente!. By Willie Perdomo. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. Henry Holt and Company, 2010. 32 pages. $16.99

The life of baseball great, Roberto Clemente, is told from the point of view of a young boy who was named after the baseball legend in this picture book biography. The narrator highlights Clemente’s baseball and humanitarian accomplishments as baseball statistics take on a poetic form. Perdomo intersperses the text with Spanish phrases. Collier’s rich watercolor and collage illustrations bring a somber tone to the story, which ends with Robert Clemente’s untimely death in a plane crash. A timeline, author’s note and illustrator’s note provide more details for interested readers. Clemente! would make a welcome addition to any elementary biography collection.

Goals for 2010/2011 School Year

I like to begin each new school year with a goal or two in an attempt to keep things interesting and fresh. I try to stick to one or two specific goals that are attainable instead of coming up with a lot of unwieldy goals that I'll never accomplish.

This year I plan to focus my attention on these two goals:

1) To learn to write effective children's book reiews

2) To improve my movie editing skills using iMovie

Goal 1
I read a lot of children's books so that I can make recommendations to students, parents and teachers. Plus, I really enjoy reading children's books. I prefer children's books to adult books. However, I haven't written a book review since I was in library school. I read lots of book reviews in School Library Journal, Horn Book, and from Publisher's Weekly. This year, I'm going to try my hand at writing reviews of some of the books that I read.

I had a gift card to a bookstore chain, so I ordered up a copy of the revised edition of From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books by Kathleen Horning. I have an old copy of the first edition from my children's literature class at Clarion, but I thought the new edition may have some new insights.


I also plan to attend the monthly book review sessions hosted by the Southern Maine Library District. Librarians in Maine are invited to attend these free sessions. Attendees peruse the selection of new books then take home piles of books to read and review. The reviews are shared with the group during the next meeting. I'm hoping that these meetings will help me to learn from other librarians and will provide me with the deadlines I need to complete my own book reviews.


Goal 2
I had a chance to try using a Flip Cam and editing a short movie with my professional learning team last at school last year. Now I am hooked! My husband bought me my very own Flip Cam for my birthday in June, and I have been filming various family events (piano recitals, little league games, sailing trips, etc...).

I had the opportunity to edit a film for a colleague's retirement party, and I was amazed at all of the options available in iMovie. Now I just need to become a bit more comfortable with the editing process because I think creating movies could be an amazing teaching tool in the library.

I think I'll start small by filming some book talks and creating some book trailers then partner with teachers to create film in their classrooms. What better way to show what you know about a subject than to make a movie? The possibilities are endless!

The Last Day- June 29, 2010

Things were pretty much coming to an end in DC. I just had a couple of big items on my agenda before flying back to Maine. First, I wanted to hear Amy Sedaris speak at the closing session. Then I planned to don a red shirt and attend the ALA rally at the Capitol.

Amy Sedaris was a riot! She showed us one of her "Martha Stewart spoof" crafts. She made a twist tie out of tape and a wire because "twist ties are so expensive to buy these days." The she answered questions from the audience. She is so witty and spontaneous. At one point she called on a person from the audience, "Yes, you with the glasses. Oh, wait this is a librarian's conference. That's all of you!"

After laughing for an hour, we loaded the buses and gathered in front of the Capitol to rally for library funding and legislation. Did I mention that it was hot and humid in DC? We stood in the sun for an hour and a half and cheered as the ALA President and various authors and Congressmen spoke about the importance of libraries. By the time it was over, I was drenched with sweat. What a lovely image, I know!

I was invited to join the Maine librarians from the State Library and MASL (Peggy and Linda) when they went to speak with Rep. Michaud and Rep. Pingree. As we were entering the Capitol, a German tourist saw our red "Vote for Libraries" shirts and asked if we were trying to start a new political party in the U.S. Ha! We'd make a great political party. Linda said we could call ourselves the Librar-terians.

Both Rep. Michaud and Pingree were in meetings when we arrived, so we met with their staff and outlined the importance of funding libraries and making sure that schools have certified school librarians staffing their libraries.

Peggy and Linda continued the schedule, and they went on to meet with Sen. Collins and Sen. Snowe. At that point, I left them to continue their work, and I ventured out into the heat with the hopes of seeing the pop-up book exhibit at The Smithsonin-American History Museum. Did I mention it was hot? After walking (and sweating) for a few blocks, I needed to find a ladies' room. I looked up and saw The Library of Congress. Now, I know that as a librarian, I am supposed to want to spend lots of time perusing the LOC. In actuality, I just wanted to find a bathroom. So, I went inside. The building is beautiful and ornate, and the restrooms are very nice too! They even have little shelves in the stalls so that you don't have to put your belongings on the bathroom floor.

I was too tired and sweaty to focus on any of the exhibits or to join a tour group, so I found the nearest exit. Now, most public buildings in DC require visitors to go through the screening process upon entering. The Library of Congress does the screening at the exit. They want to make sure tourists don't leave with library books stuffed in their backpacks. I walked through the detector and promptly set off the alarm. The guard called me back and had me pull my camera out of my purse. I walk through and set off the alarm again. This time, I pulled out my wallet. Again, the alarm sounded. The guard searched my bag and says, "Do you have any library books in here?"

I respond, "Sir, I'm a librarian. I don't steal library books." He let me go.

Now, again in my trip I'm torn. I really want to see some museums, but my body is worn out, I can't think straight, and my shirt is soaked with sweat. I decided to hang out in the air-conditioned Union Station. I made my way to the sale rack in the nearest Ann Taylor store and purchased a new shirt to wear for the remainder of the day. I couldn't picture myself sitting beside a stranger on the plane back to Maine in my current state, so a new shirt helped greatly!

I took the Metro back to the airport to catch my shuttle to the airport. I missed my guys at home and couldn't wait to get back to the mild temperatures of Maine. As I was going through airport security, I set off the alarm. The guard pulled me aside and thoroughly patted me down. She didn't find anything. I guess I just had an aura about me that set off alarms! It must be all of the positive energy (and sweat) from the conference.

Day 4- June 28, 2010

After three full days in DC I was beginning to get worn out. I'd been going to bed late and waking up early, but there's not much I could do about it. My body would not sleep for more than 5 hours. It was hot, and there was a lot of noise on the street at night plus my adrenaline was pumping. I know that I'm a total geek, but all of the recent events (Newbery/Caldecott awards, talking with authors, meeting librarians from all over the country who understand the job) make me wired. Thus, I couldn't sleep.

On the fourth day I decided to stop thinking about the school library and children's books for a couple of hours. I'm a big fan of Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island), so I went to hear him speak. Dennis was exactly how I thought he we would be. He's brilliant, yet down-to-earth. He's educated, yet tough (in a South Boston way). Dennis read from his latest book then took questions. I loved his comments about libraries:
"Libraries made me a writer. Libraries say to working-class and poor kids- you matter."

Dennis gave away free advanced copies of his new book. After having him sign my copy, I stood in line at the FedEx store in the Convention Center. I mailed a box of books home then hurried off to my next session. This session focused on how school librarians help teach reading and support teachers and students with reading. The presenters were dynamic and knowledgeable, but I was starting to fade. I already knew about comprehension reading strategies from my days as a teacher, and I needed to find some food. It's easy to keep going to new sessions and forget to eat or drink water.

I snuck out of the session early and walked down to Chinatown for a bite to eat. After lunch I went back to the hotel for a power nap. Do you spot a trend here? Now it was with mixed emotions that I took my power nap because I missed seeing John Grisham speak about his new children's book. However, I had to listen to my body, and I couldn't keep going.

The nap helped a lot because I had enough energy to do one last sweep of the exhibit floor during the closing hours. Exhibitors don't want to pack up all of the books they brought, so they sell them at a deep discount (hardcovers are $5 and paperbacks are $2). While I was snatching up bargains, I saw Barbara Christiansen signing copies of Django, so I picked up copy for the library and chatted with her.

The day was coming to a close, but I had one more important event. Natalie Merchant was hired by Baker & Taylor to perform for us. I scored a seat in the third row. For an hour and a half I forgot how tired I was and enjoyed the concert. She was amazing!!! The concert went long, so I missed the last shuttle. It was worth it. I took the Metro back to the hotel and began packing for my last day.