Mock Newbery 2019: Part I

Hey guys! It’s that time of year again. The book groups are forming for the Mock Newbery award. This year, I’m joining the group early, which means that (hopefully) I won’t be left trying to read 20 books in two months…

According to the American Library Association (ALA) the Newbery Award is awarded to authors that have published books in the previous year (so anything written in 2018) that is considered to be the “most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in English in the United States”.

Newbery Committee Members determine “the most distinguished contribution” by looking at:

• Interpretation of the theme or concept 
• Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization 
• Development of a plot 
• Delineation of characters 
• Delineation of setting 
• Appropriateness of style 

The July book list consists of: 

I’m starting with The Book of Boy because my library didn’t have any of these books on shelf and The Book of Boy came through for holds first. I’m slightly worried that Children of Blood and Bone may never come in for me as I’ve placed both a digital and physical copy on hold (shortly after the list came out, mind you) and I’m 25th in line for both copies. And the book is 400+ pages long. I’m really excited for Boots on the Ground it’s about the Vietnam War and has a ton of really cool photographs.

As always, you are invited to join me in this reading challenge journey and I encourage you to share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

I will be reading these books this month and then writing up short reviews and my thoughts about whether or not they should win the Newbery Award once I’ve finished reading them. I will also share with you the next set of books when they are released by our book group leader.

Happy reading!

--Larkynn