I’m joining up with Ruth Ayres for her weekly link-up, Celebrate This Week. Check out all of the posts linked up at her blog HERE. Thanks for starting this, Ruth!
Monday
morning is a day I have had circled on my calendar for the entire school year –
the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards. While some may find joy
in filling out NCAA brackets and predicting winners for the Super Bowl, I love
trying to figure out what books will take home a shiny sticker on this big day
in Children’s Literature. If I have heard of the book before, I am thrilled. If
I already read it, pure joy. As a result of my exuberance for this date, I
began holding a Mock Caldecott last year and this year added a Mock Newbery.
Today I want to share the books my students selected as some of the top books
of 2013.
Mock
Caldecott
Last year I
began a Mock Caldecott unit with Margie Myers-Culver and her fifth grade
library classes in Michigan. We joined forces again this year and, I
think, our unit was better than ever. I teach three classes of fifth grade, so I am
sharing the results for those classes below.
Our Medal
winner for our Mock Caldecott was:
This
beautiful picture book was the clear winner in all three classes. I hope this
is foreshadowing of things to come next week.
Our Honors
were (in no particular order):
Bear and
Bee by Ruzzier
Bluebird by Staake
Mr.
Tiger Goes Wild by
Brown
The
Story of Fish & Snail by Freedman
Watermelon
Seed by Pizzoli
Mock
Newbery
This was my
first year for a Mock Newbery club. We met for breakfast on four different
occasions. Kids could read – and then discuss – any book from a list of twenty
for our meetings. I loved trying this out this year and am already looking
forward to tweaking it for next year.
Our Medal
winner for our Mock Newbery was:
It’s no
secret that I’m rooting for this book on Monday. (Along with Linda Urban’s brilliant Center
of Everything.) I’m glad that my students have fallen for Oscar and Callie
as well.
Our Honors
were (in no particular order):
True
Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Appelt
The Year
of Billy Miller by
Henkes
And as my
classes cheered when books they loved were announced, I was reminded of
something important. Yes, the Newbery and Caldecott (and other awards) are
a big deal. I get that. I love the fun of predicting, reading, and anticipating what will win.
But what is truly important is kids reading and falling in love with books.
That is what I saw in my classroom, and that is what I’m celebrating today.
Thank you
to all of the amazing authors who made it a joy to book talk their books in our
classroom this year. You make my job so much easier.
If you and
your students want to tune in to the awards announcements Monday morning, go to
this link.
Awards
begin at 8 am EST.
And if you
want to talk predictions, best books, and more – join Colby Sharp and me Sunday
night, 8pm EST for #titletalk.
Guaranteed
to be a fast paced hour with titles flying! Hide your credit cards!
