Newbery/Caldecott and Other Predictions

My picks:

The Newbery Award is awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Winner: The Underneath by Kathi Appelt.
Honor Books: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall.
Alvin Ho by Lenore Look.
Masterpiece by Elise Broach.

The Caldecott Award is given to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Winner: Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young.
Honor Books: I don’t know enough to predict an honor book.

Prinz Award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.
Winner: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Honor Books: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers.

Geisel Award for the most distinguished American book for beginning readers.
Winner: I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo WIllems.
Honor Books: Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig by Kate DiCamillo

The buzz:
Fuse 8: Newbery/Caldecott Predict-o-rama Ms. Fuse is picking Chains, which I haven’t read yet, for the Newbery. She says my pick, The Underneath, is “divisive”. I don’t get the divisive tag. but I guess it is. Our Cybils Middle Grade Fiction committee was “divided” on its merits. Obviously, I’m in the pro-camp.

ACPL Mock Newbery also chose Chains. I gotta get me a copy of that book.

Monica Edinger mentions several possible winners in her article about “child appeal” and the Newbery.

The folks at Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog chose The Porcupine Year by Louise Erdich. I started to read it, but didn’t even finish it because I found it boring in the extreme.

Sandy thinks maybe Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. I guess I’ll have to try again on that one. I didn’t get past the first few pages when the assassin stabbed the toddler’s teddy bear through the heart thinking it was the child. (No spoiler that; as I said, that happens on about the first or second page of the book.)

The children’s librarian who blogs at Wizards WIreless made her predictions way back in October, 2008. And her choice is: The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, with Trouble by Gary Schmidt getting an Honor sticker.

Matt at The Book Club Shelf, one of my fellow Cybils panelists, thinks Diamond WIllow by Helen Frost will win the Newbery.

Emily at Book Kids has some Prinz picks.

If you have Newbery, Prinz, Caldecott or other predictions, leave me a comment or a link to your post. The winners of these award and other ALA sponsored awrds for children’s literature will be announced on Monday, January 26, 2009 at 8:45 AM Central TIme. You can watch the announcement via live webcast.

2 thoughts on “Newbery/Caldecott and Other Predictions

  1. Somehow, I don’t see Hunger Games being recognized for the Printz. I mean, I loved it, thought it was wonderful, and I can’t really explain why, but I would be surprised if it won. Just judging from past winners, from…I don’t know, obviously this is really subjective.

    I definitely think Frankie’ll get something, though. Other than that, no real predictions.

  2. I just posted my own predictions for the Newbery, Printz, and Caldecott. I’m intrigued: you’re the first person I’ve seen to say that The Porcupine Year was boring. Was there anything more specific? I can see how it might bore some people, but I would expect the same people to be bored with The Underneath (not that the two books are at all similar).

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