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I'm changing things up. This year I'm splitting my predictions into three categories: Best Chance, Maybe, and Probably Not. Will doing so make me any more accurate? Only time will tell.
BLOG POSTS
There are now just six titles remaining as finalists for the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery. Committee Members will continue discussing these titles and submit 3rd ballots soon.
2nd Ballots are in, and still no clear winner of the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery. Committee members will now decide how many of the contenders should remain on Ballot #3, which will go out soon
After weeks of rigorous book discussion, the Heavy Medal Committee has voted for the 2020 Mock Newbery book. And the winner is....not decided. No book emerged as a clear winner, so look for more intense book discussion today, followed by a second ballot.
'Kitten Construction Company' creator John Patrick Green sends two goofy gators off to solve a mystery in his new book, InvestiGators.
Debuts, duology conclusions, pocket-sized reads, and Daphne and Velma. Get out those TBR lists!
Like the coming of spring, each year I anxiously await it: the moment I can once again post this image: This is your annual reminder that The 2020 Youth Media Awards are coming on Jan. 27, 2020, at 8 a.m. ET from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, in Philadelphia. The awards will be broadcast live via webcast. Click […]
Taking a common hand rhyme and turning it into a story with a satisfying plot would be a difficult challenge for anyone but for Ms. Carmen Agra Deedy's Rita & Ralph's Rotten Day it’s a breeze. A marvelous addition to any storytime roster, no matter where you are.
Nonfiction titles seldom win the Newbery. Here at Heavy Medal, we always include a few nonfiction on our top contenders list. Will Torpedoed, a finely crafted and suspenseful historical account, win over 15 Heavy Medal Award Committee members' hearts and take home the gold medal? Read Sam Leopold's introduction and join the conversation.
YA Librarian Karen Jensen talks about the new dark and superbly twisted YA thriller Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus.
Diana, the little girl who will grow up to be Wonder Woman, tires of being the only kid on an island of immortal women, so she decides to try to literally make a new friend. Complications ensue, and lessons are learned in this new book by Shannon and Dean Hale and Victoria Ying.
On The Yarn podcast, Kate DiCamillo talks about Because of Winn-Dixie, which turns 20 this year.
Travis: Because of Winn-Dixie turns 20 this year. Few children’s books have had the impact or staying power of Kate DiCamillo’s debut. In this episode, Colby calls Kate DiCamillo to discuss the book and the affect it’s had on readers. We hope you enjoy the episode: #109 Kate DiCamillo – WINN-DIXIE Turns 20 Subscribe below […]
Today we begin a series of posts on outstanding children’s books that have yet to be published in English. We hope to inspire librarians who want to spruce up their international collections, publishers who are looking for exceptional work to translate, or teachers who want to encourage their bilingual pupils to be readers. Or those of you who just like darn good books.
Ideal for explorations of family, friendship, and identity, the impact of federal policies generationally on Native Americans, and the process by which we claim our own identities, Indian No More will linger in the hearts and minds of readers.
Heavy Medal Committee member Alissa describes Neal Shusterman's "The Toll" as"a novel that combines all of the elements of an award-winner..." Is this highly popular fantasy a true Newbery contender?
This book is the perfect teenage take on THE GOOD PLACE, but with less frozen yogurt and more Jello.
I talk with Minh Lê about GREEN LANTERN: LEGACY and give away three copies
Ladies and germs, it is with great pleasure, that I present to you, not only a view of the first Levine Querido title, but also an excerpt from the book itself. Coming to you August 25, 2020 . . .
A list of YA titles that Billie Eilish fans may like reading broken down by song.
Could a light-hearted tale in emails and other communication methods be the strongest contender of the 2020 Heavy Medal Award? Read the introduction and tell us what you think about the odds.
SLJ BLOG NETWORK
100 Scope Notes
Travis Jonker
A Fuse #8 Production
Elizabeth Bird
Good Comics for Kids
Brigid Alverson, Robin Brenner, Lori Henderson, Esther Keller, Michael May, J. Caleb Mozzocco, Mike Pawuk, Scott Robins, & Eva Volin
Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
Steven Engelfried, Sharon McKellar, & Roxanne Hsu Feldman
Neverending Search
Joyce Valenza
Teen Librarian Toolbox
Karen Jensen, Heather Booth, Robin Willis, & Amanda MacGregor
The Classroom Bookshelf
Mary Ann Cappiello, Erika Thulin Dawes, Grace Enriquez, & Katie Cunningham
The Yarn
Travis Jonker & Colby Sharp
NEWS & FEATURES
Watch the 2020 Youth Media Awards LIVE!
Travis Jonker
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By SLJ staff