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As we enter the last month of the year, it's time to compare the top children's books on Heavy Medal to recently announced "best of the year" lists from review journals and public libraries.
December nominations are open from now through December 6th. Choose your final two titles and we'll share the final list of nominated titles for our Mock Newbery next week.
Could Tiffany D. Jackson's BLOOD IN THE WATER be one of the rare mysteries to earn Newbery recognition? Guest blogger Betsy Bird highlights the many strengths of this book that "could easily become that dark horse candidate that deserves to be taken seriously."
This year's Newbery winner will need to excel in the area of "presentation for a child audience." As we consider this year's contenders with that in mind, let's recall some past award winners that were especially notable for the ways they connect with child readers.
While we continue to look for the most distinguished children's books in our Mock Newbery year, we can't forget one important criteria: award winners must display "excellence of presentation for a child audience."
A month from now we'll announce our full 15-title Heavy Medal Book List. For now, though, we've identified a half-dozen books that will definitely be on that list: The Early 6.
Guest poster Owen Ridings introduces STORY SPINNERS to our Mock Newbery discussion, noting that this graphic novel "manages to pack in humor, realistic sibling dynamics, and fantastical adventures—all while cleverly satirizing the entire fairy tale genre."