Given that each year more than 3,000 children’s books eligible for the Newbery are published, each of the 70 titles receiving even a single nomination from the Heavy Medal readers already signifies certain distinctive qualities.  We thank you all for sharing with us what you have loved this year.

After compiling reader nominations and considering discussion potentials, we present to you a long list that will serve as our final Heavy Medal slate for balloting.  In the next few weeks, short “official discussion starter” posts will give all of us chances to examine each of the 18 long-listed titles even more closely.

For those who are interested in participating in a full-on mock voting process (voting for the top three, tabulating, discussing, re-voting, tabulating, discussing, etc. until a final winner emerges) please finish all of these titles before February 5th when our voting procedure starts.  For those who do not have the time to read all of these titles before February 5th, no worries, there will also be a general poll for you to support your favorites!

We look forward to hear from more from our readers in the next few weeks!

The 2018 Heavy Medal Long List

• All’s Faire in Middle School

• Beyond the Bright Sea

• Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

• First Rule of Punk

• Hate U Give

• Hello Universe

• Her Right Foot

• I’m Just No Good at Rhyming

• Loving Vs. Virginia

• Orphan Island

• Patina

• Princess Cora and the Crocodile

• Real Friends

• Refugee

• Tumble and Blue

• Vincent and Theo

• War I Finally Won

• Wishtree