Hmph.
Obviously, my mother has no sense of just how hip today's librarians are.
But I do. And librarians are the kind of crowd I choose to run with all day this Saturday at the OLA/WLA Mock Newbery Workshop.
Current Newbery Committee members Katie O'Dell, Steven Engelfried, and Sarah French will educate us about the award criteria, the selection process, and, perhaps, what it feels like to influence a world of young readers. Oh, the power they wield!
Then we'll break into small groups to discuss the books, and pretend that we are the power players when we vote for 2009's most distinguished work of American literature for children. I love to role play. I wonder if we will accurately predict the future award winners.
Below is the selection of books we'll be discussing. We're definitely in for some good reads. But I feel like getting ahead of the game and issuing my prediction:
When You Reach Me (Gold)
Heart of a Shepherd (Silver)
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Silver)
What do you forsee? If you have any predictions for Newbery (or Caldecott) medal winners, post them here, soothsayers!
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry
The Magician's Elephant, by Kate DiCamillo
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman
A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
