We all had favorites that we were unable to include on this year’s Contender List for one reason or another. Here are three from each of us:

Jonathan: You know, I had forgotten exactly what was on the list as we were discussing a couple dozen titles right down to the wire a couple of months ago. I’m disappointed that Roller Girl, The War That Saved My Life, and Cuckoo Song didn’t make the cut. I think they were among the very last ones we considered. Would have been nice to catch at least one of the Printz books. Oh, well. :-

Monica: I love our list while also sad that we had to ultimately leave-off Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer and Roller Girl.  And then there is a book I did not read until after the deadline that I adore and has been, I think, sorely overlooked, Katherine Rundell’s Wolf Wilder.

Roxanne: I am very happy with the sixteen titles on the list but could have probably pushed harder for Alex Crow and The Underground Abductor.  Another book that I read too late in the year to nominate was All American Boys which I am happy to see getting nods elsewhere!